Jim: We are getting a bit away from Ostend, but in view of your remark about the Belgian Spitfire XIVs, there was one on a pedestal at BAF Beauvechain in 1959:
SG-3 Spitfire XIV coded MN-350

The Beauvechain Spitfire F.XIVE was – of course – RN201, now flying in the USA with Tom Blair’s collection.

Post war civil scheme

I still think this was the best scheme:

Foulness

The bike section of the Southend-on-Sea Triathlon used to go through the old proving grounds and Foulness and I remember competing there about 10 years ago. It was being run-down at the time but I can recall an ex-Boscombe Down red/white/blue Phantom in there plus a couple of Buccaneers and at least one tank.

I wasn’t really too concerned about the bits & pieces – more with holding my bike steady at around 30 mph – it was only when I got to the turnaround at the North end of the course that I realised I had been pushed along by a serious tailwind … the return was significantly slower!

(Back in the 1980s I remember a damaged Harrier 2-seater on a low-loader heading down the A127 in that general direction … probably blown to smithereens!)

Ah! One of the record cards that were stolen in the 1970’s prior to the mass microfiche for the RAFMus 😡

I transcribed this card at AHB circa 1971 and have:-

43 Gp. D.A. 23 August 1941.

So not 43 Squadron, not 43 MU, but I suspect 43 Group of Maintenance Command. The D A may stand for Deposit Account – aircraft held by storage unit.

Mark

That makes sense Mark. No.222 moved to North Weald around 18th August 1941 and started to re-equip with the F.VB (e.g. AB910) so it would make sense for P8332 to be transferred to the Group Deposit Account prior to moving to AST for a well-deserved overhaul.

I’m reliably informed that it is LF751 (including parts from Z3687 & PG593) which was displayed statically at Waterbeach before being moved to Bentley Priory. It has now been restored by the Medway Aircraft Preservation Society and is displayed at Manston as “BN230”.

As far as I can tell, Waterbeach had several Hurricanes on site in the late 1940s, LF363 was the Station Commander’s pride and joy and it was maintained in flying condition by using parts from Z3687, LF751 and PG593. It was part of the Waterbeach Station Flight until 1954.

How about starting a “Waterbeach Hurricanes” thread?

Positive ID

Despite my earlier suggestion that it may have been the mortal remains of Z3687 (which had a very distinguished wartime history and then became the Farnborough-based laminar flow experimental Hurricane with wings built by Armstrong Whitworth … hence the all white colour scheme) I have been contacted by someone who examined the wreck in Coley’s Yard and who liberated a significant artefact from it – which he still owns.

He has confirmed that the identity was PG499 (5500M).

Here are some quotes from his email to me:

…..”This Hurricane had spent some time on display “near Chester” in the early 1950’s, later being at Castle Bromwich airfield in 1955.

…..”When the Science Museum Hurricane Mark 1, L1592, was being rebuilt in the early 1960’s by Hawkers for display in the new exhibition hall at South Kensington, certain parts were required to complete the airframe, so a request was made to the Air Ministry for assistance, as it happened the remains of PG499 were available from an RAF scrap dump, and in due course they were delivered to Dunsfold to assist in the rebuild of L1592, it is believed that some cowlings from PG499 were used in this rebuild.

Once L1592 was completed, the remains of PG499 were no longer required, and they passed to Coley’s yard along with assorted Hunter scrap from Dunsfold and Kingston.

All of this happened before the preservation movement really started, however by the time Hamish Mahaddie started looking for Hurricanes and Spitfires in the mid 1960`s for “The Battle of Britain” film most of the remains of PG499 had passed-on to the smelter……… …..however one part does still remain having been removed from the airframe at Hounslow by an enthuiast……

So now we know!

(All will be revealed when “Hurricane Survivors” is published in 2008/2009)

PK724

Here she is in September 1969 at Gaydon – this was the Friday evening before the BoB Day display on the Saturday.