I certainly do. My uncle worked there for Supermarines. He often used to talk about the incredible flying by Jeffrey Quill and Alex Henshaw in the Spitfires. When he retired he was working for Hawker Siddely at Hamble Aerostructures

But I also think of Bournemouth International as Hurn Airport. We used to go there when I was a boy to watch the Silver City Bristol Freighters. I also remember a trip around the BAC 1-11 production line.

And then there were the Princess flying boats mothballed at Calshott, which we went along to see.

The whole area has an aviation heritage to be proud of.

You are quite right. ML407 did serve with 332 Squadron at Schijndel and Twenthe. It joined the squadron on 16 April 1945, flying its last mission of the war on 25 April.

The pilots:
Sgt R Anonsen 2 missions
Lt J Roesland 1 mission
Sgt E Stigset 2 missions

ML407 flew with the following squadrons:

485 (New Zealand)
341 (Free French)
308 (Polish)
349 (Belgian)
345 (Free French)
332 (Norwegian)
485 (New Zealand) for a second time

Source of information: 2nd TAF Spitfire. The History of Spitfire ML407 by Hugh Smallwood,

Some pictures of the flypast and memorial.

The A2A pictures apart from the last one (Magna Park) are copyright Jayne Barlow. The group picture is copyright Sandy Bole.

Lead aircraft XX537 (North Weald). We had some spare seats so a couple of Cranfield instructors came along for the ride.

Number 3 XX638 (Bourne Park)

Number 4 XX546 (Conington)

Taken from the lead aircraft on the rehearsal the previous Saturday – Number 4 and Number 2 XX630 (Cranfield) – heading west from Woburn. The memorial site at Magna Park is visible as the large silver building just under the wing of Number 2

The flypast team: Paul Sengupta (Number 3), Sandy Bole (Number 4), Trevor Jago (Number 1), Mike Miles (Number 2 – Missing Man) at the memorial

The plaque

Taxying out for return to home bases. The three ship performed a second flypast elsewhere en route.

There was a short news item on Anglia News last night featuring the unveiling and flypast.

On Saturday attended the Beagle Pup & Bulldog Club AGM at Sywell. Then we flew a 4-ship missing man flypast rehearsal for a memorial unveiling this coming Friday. Although the memorial is to a single aircrew who were killed in 1945, our flypast on BoB Day was a broader tribute to all those who took off and never came back.

On Sunday I spent the day at North Weald, one of the key BoB fighter stations. We had a fly-in all day. The P51, P40, Gnat, Huey and Vampire were flying from there at the Shoreham air show.

Flypast forms up at Podington (Santa Pod race track)

The Number 2, who performed the missing man break had a SEAC Liberator pilot as his passsenger

Running in past Newport Pagnell

Running out past Woburn. Missing man rejoined as Number 4.

Not got reference of a Pup 100 but here are a couple of this year’s King’s Cup-winning Pup 150. I would imagine the layout would be similar. On the Puip 150 they are fuel pressure, oil pressure, cylinder head temperature and oil temperature.

Should be able to do one in a Bulldog. Maybe a two-ship with enough warning if it’s during the week. For a weekend we could probably do a Bulldog three/four-ship.

We did a two-ship (Bulldog and Yak) last September to Wickhambreaux in Kent, where Squadron Leader David Maltby (617 Squadron) is buried. They hold an annual memorial ceremony for relatives of the crew who were killed attended by relatives and aircrew veterans. It was one of the most worthwhile things I’ve done in an aircraft.

Heard the same this afternoon at North Weald. Clive Denney flew in TA805 after a display and Peter was there too. The Spitfire will be at NW all week. Next Saturday is 72 Squadron reunion, should be there for Sunday too.

What great news! 😀