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On 22 May 1948, over Israel, a unique incident took place in the Spitfire's operational history when three Spitfire users came into conflict. [200] On this date, five Egyptian Mk IXs attacked, by mistake, the RAF base at Ramat David, shared by 32 and 208 Squadrons. They destroyed a number of Mk XVIIIs on the ground, but the surviving Spitfires ...
The operational history of the Spitfire with the RAF began with the first Mk Is K9789, which entered service with 19 Squadron at RAF Duxford on 4 August 1938. [ 31 ] [ nb 12 ] The Spitfire achieved legendary status during the Battle of Britain, a reputation aided by the "Spitfire Fund" organised and run by Lord Beaverbrook, the Minister of ...
This aircraft conducted the last ever operational sortie by an RAF Spitfire when, on 1 April 1954, it flew a photographic mission over an area of jungle in Johore thought to contain hideouts for Communist guerrillas. For the occasion, the aircraft's ground crew painted the inscription 'The Last!’ on the left engine cowling [270]
5 (P) AFU B: No. 5 Squadron RAF: 5 Sqn B: No. 56 Squadron RAF: 56 Sqn B: No. 87 Squadron RAF: 87 Sqn B: RAF College Flying Training School: RAF Coll FTS B: Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment: TTTE B: Wessex Training Flight RAF: WT Flt B3: Station Flight RAF Wyton: B4: No. 282 Squadron RAF: 282 Sqn B6: Station Flight RAF Spilsby: B7 ...
No. 55 Operational Training Unit RAF was an Operational Training Unit of the Royal Air Force, formed in November 1940 at RAF Aston Down, in Gloucestershire, to train fighter pilots, formed initially from No. 5 OTU, flying Hawker Hurricane single seat fighter aircraft, Supermarine Spitfire single seat fighter aircraft and Bristol Blenheim, a twin-engined light bomber. [1]
The short range Spitfire was not ideal for the long-range escort missions now required, and in January 1945 the squadron, by now based at RAF Bentwaters, re-equipped with the longer-ranged North American Mustang, continuing these operations until the end of the war in Europe. [11]
Spitfire 21s became operational on 91 Squadron in January 1945. The squadron had little opportunity to engage the Luftwaffe before the war ended but scored a rare success on 26 April 1945, when two Spitfire Mk 21s shot up and claimed to have sunk a German midget submarine which they caught on the surface.
Jeffrey Quill's long association with the Spitfire began when, aged 23, he made his first flight in the prototype fighter K5054 on 26 March 1936 – Mutt Summers having made the maiden flight three weeks earlier – and his priority was to get the Spitfire cleared for acceptance by the RAF.