PL983

Daz
although PL983 didn’t have much of a military career did you know she was entered and raced by the famous lady ferry pilot Lettice Curtis in a couple of racing events in the late forties?
The write up I have on the events of 28th August 1948 at Lympne go like this.
“The high speed handicap provided plenty of noise and excitement with Flt Lieut Colquhoun as the winner in a Spitfire Mk.VIII trainer (G-AIDN), Gp Capt John Cunningham second in a Vampire F. Mk.3 (VV190), J.O. Matthews third in the Firefly F.R. Mk.4 (Z1835), Sqn Ldr J.D. Derry fourth in another Vampire F.Mk.5 (VV217) and Miss E. Lettice Curtis fifth with a blue Spitfire P.R. Mk.XI, N74138 (PL983). Also competing were Sqn Ldr W.J.G. Morgan flying a Spitfire F.Mk.24 (VN324) and Sqn Ldr T.S. Wade on a Fury F.Mk.1 (NX802). After the race on the 28th August Lettice Curtis flew the Spitfire P.R. Mk.XI over the 100km closed-circuit course to set a new international record in it’s class at 313.208 MPH.”
See you were right about her being a thoroughbred!!
Oh, to have been in the paddock of that little event on that day.
All the best
Andy

Daz
is the Mk XI the one that in the early seventies stood at Old Warden and was then restored (partly at Duxford ) and then went to France.
I’ve got quite a bit of info on this aircraft somewhere but can’t lay my hands on it.
Gives a good idea what this house is like.
Any info anyone??
All the best
Andy Jones

Jeep 3 above

The passenger in jeep no three is a VC winner.
Trouble is his name escapes at present.
He was a Lancaster pilot who pressed on despite being wounded and I believe his Nav was killed.
He tells his story in The World at WAR the one about bombers.
Sadly I believe he’s since gone to a better place.
Please give me his name someone.
All the best
Andy