Pat Regan

Historic Spitfire at RAF Woodvale

4 July 2015

Report and images by Pat Regan

American Independence Day and one would expect to see an American fighter plane perhaps like the P-51 Mustang or the The Chance Vought F4U Corsair.

However, RAF Woodvale was treated today to the sterling sights and sounds of the wonderful Spitfire.

First sight of the fighter as it cruised over my house.

Crowds thrilled by the aircraft

Essential team work

Waiting for take off...

Pilot - ready to rock and roll...

Built at Castle Bromwich, Spitfire LFIX MK356 was allocated to the newly-formed 443 ‘Hornet’ Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force at RAF Digby, Lincolnshire, in March 1944. MK356 soon moved with 144 Wing to Holmsley, near Bournemouth, then to Westhampnett (now Goodwood) and later to Ford in Sussex.

Away, up into the wild blue yonder...

Spitfire MK356 is now painted to represent Spitfire Mk IXc ML214, coded ‘5J-K’, the personal aircraft of Squadron Leader ‘Johnny’ Plagis, the Commanding Officer of No 126 Squadron from July 1944. Plagis named all of his personal Spitfires after his sister ‘Kay’ (Katrina) and ML214 bore her name on the port side above two scrolls displaying 16 swastikas - his kill markings.

The aircraft is painted with black and white invasion stripes on the underside of the wings and rear fuselage. For some unknown reason, certain fighter units of the UK-based No 10 Group, Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB), painted non-standard, narrower stripes on their aircraft (nine inches wide instead of the standard eighteen) and this was how the 126 Squadron Spitfires were marked.

Source...

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/theaircraft/spitfiremk356.cfm