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A Day of Reflection

On Saturday May 7th and Sunday May 8th, the Imperial War Museum at Duxford near Cambridge commemorated the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day - the official ending of the Second World War in Europe. Fighter Control was privileged to attend this historic occasion. Mick Freer reports, with additional photographic material from his son, Stuart.

Time Warp One could be forgiven for thinking they were in a time warp, when strolling through the throngs of people gathered at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford over the weekend of May 7th and 8th. Battle of Britain fighter pilots sporting ‘handle bar’ moustaches, chatting to young ladies, adorned in the height of wartime fashion and U.S Airmen and American GIs slouching around in Jeeps chewing gum, all to the tunes of Glen Miller, accompanied by the wonderful throb of Merlin engines. This was the Imperial War Museum’s unique tribute to the millions of people, both military and civilian, who gave their lives to defeat Nazism, in those far off days. Duxford’s VE Day celebrations featured an outstanding array of aircraft from the Second World War including Spitfires, Hurricanes and a B-17 Flying Fortress. As a gesture of appreciation for the people who lived through the war, the Museum admitted everyone aged sixty years and over, free of charge. "Duxford’s VE Day Air Show will not only be the biggest UK aerial anniversary commemoration but will also be the first major UK air show of 2005", said Richard Ashton, Director of Duxford. "If you were alive in ‘Forty Five’ you can come to our thrilling VE Day show, free of charge". The author visited Duxford on Saturday May 7th. Weather conditions were testing for both pilots and photographers alike, with a strong bitterly cold Northern wind. Severe cross-winds created some problems with some of the older aircraft and unfortunately there were some cancellations

Spitfires and Hurricanes A celebration of this magnitude would not be complete without a gathering of Supermarine Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes. The flying display hosted three Spitfires and two Hurricanes. Of historic interest was Spitfire Tr.IX ML407 (G-LFIX) owned by Carolyn Grace. This aircraft was built in April 1944 as a Low altitude Fighter (LF) Mk.IX. It was delivered to No. 485 (New Zealand) Squadron and became the regular mount of Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton. It was the first allied aircraft to shoot down an enemy on D-Day, June 6th 1944, when it claimed a Junkers Ju-88 and a quarter-share in another. On June 12th, it shot down two Messerschmitt Bf-109s. ML407M served with various other Squadrons of the 2nd Tactical Air Force until the end of the war, when it was converted to a Tr.IX two-seat training aircraft and sold to the Irish Air Corps. It was purchased by Nick Grace during 1980, who restored it to flying condition. It is currently operated by his widow, Carolyn.

The second aircraft in the line-up was Spitfire Mk.Vb BM597 (G-MKVB) coded ‘JH-C’. This aircraft served with 315 and 317 (Polish) Squadrons during the Second World War and currently wears the markings of 317 Squadron. Following the war, BM597 was allocated gate guardian duties at RAF Church Fenton.

Probably the most famous of all the Spitfires present was Spitfire Mk.IXc MH434. Built at Castle Bromwich during 1943, MH434 was issued to number 222 (Natal) Squadron at RAF Hornchurch and was flown in combat by South African pilot Flight Lieutenant Henry Lardner Burke DFC, who gained several ‘kills’ in the process. The aircraft was passed on to 350 Squadron and ended the war with a total of seventy nine operational sorties. MH434 spent most of its post war years flying with the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The aircraft is currently operated by the Old Flying Machine Company (OFMC), which is based at Duxford.

On static display was a superb replica of the prototype Spitfire Mk.1 ‘K5054’ (G-BRDV). This was built by Clive Du Cros in the early 1980s. The aircraft is built entirely of wood and for this reason the original Rolls Royce Merlin engine could not be fitted, as the ensuing weight problems would have drastically altered the aircraft’s centre of gravity. Instead, a much-modified Jaguar V12 car engine was fitted, which through a reduction gear assembly, drove the two-bladed propeller. The aircraft first flew at RAF Hullavington, Wiltshire on June 7th 1991. The aircraft is currently not airworthy.

The Hurricane, rather more than its more glamorous counterpart the Spitfire, was the Royal Air Force’s principal fighter during the Battle of Britain. There were 32 Hurricane Squadrons in Fighter Command during the battle, compared to 19 equipped with the Spitfire. Duxford was a sector station in 12 Group, Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and gave its name to the ‘Duxford Wing’, which inflicted heavy losses on the massive Luftwaffe formations that attacked London on September 15th, 1940. Three of the five Squadrons of the Wing, including 242 Squadron commanded by Douglas Bader, were equipped with Hurricanes. During 1940, Hurricanes shot down more enemy aircraft than all the other defences combined.

Two Hawker Hurricanes were flying from Duxford for the 60th anniversary of VE Day celebrations, a Mk.1, R4118 (G-HUPW) coded ‘UP-W’ and a later Mk.IV, KZ321 (G-HURY). Hurricane Mk.IV, KZ321 did not see Royal Air Force service being delivered directly to the Yugoslav Air Force. Following the end of hostilities, it found its way to Israel where it served with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). On retirement from the IDF the aircraft languished in a scrap yard at a Kibbutz in Jaffa until being acquired by Warbirds of Great Britain, based at Biggin Hill. The aircraft eventually arrived at Duxford with the Fighter Collection, who painstakingly restored it to the superb condition it now flies in.

A ‘STAR’ UNVEILED Without doubt, the ‘star’ of the whole VE Day celebration enjoyed its first public airing, which was Peter Vacher’s immaculate Hurricane Mk.1 R4118 (G-HUPW). This aircraft is a genuine Battle of Britain veteran and can be considered the most historically important and rare ‘warbird’ flying in the United Kingdom at present. Hurricane Mk.1 R4118 was delivered new to number 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron at RAF Drem on August 17th, 1940. During the Battle of Britain it flew 49 sorties from RAF Croydon and shot down a number of enemy aircraft. It was later taken on charge by 111 Squadron at RAF Dyce on January 18th, 1941. Over the following two years it was used primarily as a trainer with numbers 56 and 59 Operational Training Units (OTU) and was rebuilt three times following major accidents including hitting a lorry on the runway and taxiing into a snow drift! In December 1943, R4118 was crated at Cardiff and shipped to India as a training airframe. However, it was never needed and was struck off charge during 1947, still intact inside its packing case. It was donated to a University for engineering instruction but was dumped in a compound, until rescued in a sorry state by Peter Vacher in June 2001. Following six years of negotiations with various Indian authorities, R4118 was loaded in a container and shipped to the United Kingdom. Hawker Restorations Limited in Suffolk undertook the meticulous restoration work. This included fitting every piece of equipment that was in the aircraft during the Battle, such as the first VHF radio (the TR1133) the Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) unit, the original eight Browning machine guns and the camera gun in the starboard wing. The author had the opportunity to closely inspect the craftsmanship and was struck with awe at the attention to detail with this work. Surely this must rank as one of the most historic aircraft to have survived the war? Pete Kynsey of the Fighter Collection was at the controls for its first test flight on December 23rd, 2004. Three of the pilots who flew R4118 in the Battle of Britain are still alive. One of them, Wing Commander Bob Foster DFC, who damaged two German Ju.88s and shared a ‘kill’ of another, from this very aircraft during the battle, was at Duxford for the VE Day Show, signing copies of Peter Vacher’s book on this very aircraft. The Hurricane, rather more than its more glamorous counterpart the Spitfire, was the Royal Air Force’s principal fighter during the Battle of Britain. There were 32 Hurricane Squadrons in Fighter Command during the battle, compared to 19 equipped with the Spitfire. Duxford was a sector station in 12 Group, Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and gave its name to the ‘Duxford Wing’, which inflicted heavy losses on the massive Luftwaffe formations that attacked London on September 15th, 1940. Three of the five Squadrons of the Wing, including 242 Squadron commanded by Douglas Bader, were equipped with Hurricanes. During 1940, Hurricanes shot down more enemy aircraft than all the other defences combined.

Grounded
	The talk of the show was the grounding of Boeing B-17G 44-85784, (which is co-named ‘Memphis Bell’ and ‘Sally B’) by a new European directive imposing minimum third party liability insurance requirements, on operators, based on an aircraft’s maximum takeoff weight (mtow). An extra £25,000 will have to be found annually, to keep this aircraft in the air, which equates to a staggering additional £1,000 per hour. No provision has been made for the fact that the aircraft operates on a UK permit to fly. The General Aviation Department of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been negotiating a special exemption, but to no avail and the owner, Elly Sallingboe, has written to the Secretary of State for Transport to seek Government assistance.
‘Sally B’ is a flying memorial to the 79,000 United States Army Air Corps aircrew who gave their lives during the Second World War. It will be an ignominious end to its career, if this potent symbol of freedom is grounded by the continent it fought so hard to free. The other bomber grounded during the Saturday of the show was the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster B.1, PA474. This time it was not European ‘red tape’ that prevented this famous bomber from displaying but the weather. With strong winds, heavy rain and hail showers forecast, a decision was made for the aircraft not to participate.

‘Over Here...’ ‘Over here, over paid and over sexed’ was a sentiment often expressed during the Second World War, to describe the massive presence of United States (US) service personnel in the United Kingdom. Let us never under estimate the huge contribution to the war effort the US Forces made. The War memorial at Duxford is a poignant and vivid reminder of the huge number of airmen that sacrificed their lives during the struggle. The 78th Fighter Group (FG) of the United States Eighth Air Force equipped with North American P-51D Mustang aircraft, led by Lieutenant Colonel John Landers, was based at Duxford during the closing stages of the war. The Group’s final major aerial combat was on Saturday April 7th 1945, defending 8th Air Force Fortresses bombing munitions depots in North West Germany. The Luftwaffe adopted desperate ramming tactics carried out by a special volunteer force, ‘Sonderkommando Elbe’, with dated Messerschmitt Bf.109s. Of the 120 Bf.109s that took off, only 15 returned to base. This was effectively the last time the Bf.109 was met in action. The Bf.109’s twin jet successor, the Messerschmitt Me.262, still remained a potential threat. On April 10th the 78th FG were again in action, attacking the main bases defending Berlin, destroying 52 aircraft and damaging another 43. On April 16th, Landers led his Mustangs as far as Prague in Czechoslovakia, some 650 miles away from their Duxford base. They achieved the highest ground score ever for an 8th Air Force Fighter Group, destroying 135 aircraft and damaging a further 89. This action earned the group a Distinguished Unit Citation, the last to be awarded in the European Theatre. With Berlin in ruins, it was rumoured that Hitler had fled to Bertchtesgarten, his mountain retreat. It was decided to launch a bombing raid by RAF Lancasters of 617 (Dambusters) Squadron. Exceptionally, they were to have a USAAF fighter escort. Duxford’s resident 78th FG was one of two groups selected for this unique and symbolic joint RAF/USAAF mission, on Wednesday April 25th. Berchtesgarten was however, obscured by snow and low cloud, so the Lancasters bombed the nearby SS barracks instead. This proved to be more effective, as Hitler was actually still in Berlin Tuesday May 8th was proclaimed Victory in Europe Day, ‘VE Day’. At Duxford the 78th FG ‘Thunderbolts’ dance band played on the parade ground and the beer flowed. On May 9th Lieutenant Colonel Landers called a formal parade to read the official victory proclamation.

‘Little Friend’ and Others On display at the VE Day anniversary celebration at Duxford were a number of aircraft representing those operated by the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) and Navy during the Second World War. USAAF daylight bombing raids over Germany were often escorted by P-51D Mustang aircraft. These were affectionately referred to by bomber crews as their ‘little friends’. Representing the type at the event was P-51D serial number 44-73149 in the markings of ‘413704’, ‘Ferocious Frankie

Another classic fighter of the period was the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. Flying during the display was Thunderbolt 45-49192 of the Fighter Collection in the markings of ‘226671’, named ‘No Guts - No Glory’. This aircraft was restored in the markings of Lieutenant Colonel Ben Mayo, Commanding Officer of the 82nd Fighter Squadron.

Making up a trio of USAAF types was Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk 43-5802 of the Fighter Collection. This very rare aircraft has had a colourful career. The aircraft was built for the Royal Air Force at Buffalo, USA during 1941 but was later reclaimed by the USAAF and flew with the 68th Fighter Group in the South West Pacific. It was later handed over to the Royal New Zealand Air Force and operated by 14 Squadron. It ended its days in a scrap yard, but was saved by a group of teenagers who scraped the money together to buy it. It owes its existence to the fact that it was closer to the gate than any of the other aircraft dumped in the yard! Ray Hanna purchased the aircraft in 1992 and following a six year rebuild, it flew again for the first time since 1945.

A pair of Grumman ‘Cats’ from the Fighter collection, represented the United States Navy. Grumman F6F-5K Hellcat, bureau number 80141 painted to represent aircraft ‘40467’ was alongside Grumman FM-2 Wildcat, bureau number 86711 painted in Fleet Air Arm (FAA) markings. Another FAA type on display was a Chance Vought/Goodyear Corsair, painted as ‘KD345’.

Allies Remembered Though the emphasis of the show was on the contribution made by the British and American Forces during the war, our other allies were not forgotten and representative aircraft of the Soviet and Canadian Air Forces were present. A pair of Soviet Air Force Yak-11s were also present. So feared by the Luftwaffe on the Russian front, instructions were issued to pilots not to engage these aircraft.

Consolidated Catalina, G-PBYA of Plane Sailing Limited gave a superb display and was representative of the type operated by Canada during the war. ‘BYA’ actually served with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the war and will be eventually re-painted in RCAF colours. Another ex RCAF type on display, though not of wartime vintage, was Canadair CT-133 serial number 21261 of the Golden Apple Trust, which now flies painted in its original markings.

Great Pride The VE Day celebrations at Duxford were brought right up to date, with displays from all three of the current UK armed services. Duxford’s Marketing & Public Relations Manager, Tracey Woods told Fighter Control, “Though a shadow of their former selves in terms of personnel and equipment, we can take great pride as a nation in our Armed Forces, who are possibly the best trained in world. We are delighted to have all our armed forces represented at the show, to star alongside some of the aircraft of the Second World War”. The Army Air Corps were represented by a Westland Lynx and Gazelle, both from the ‘Blue Eagles’ display team

The Royal Navy displayed British Aerospace (BAe) Sea Harrier F/A.2, ZH804 from 800 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton.

The Royal Air Force sent along a pair of BAe Hawk T.1 aircraft, from 100 Squadron at RAF Leeming and...

a Westland Merlin HC.3 ZJ127 coded ‘L’, from 28 Squadron at RAF Benson.

The final display of the show was performed by Panavia Tornado GR.4 ZA469, coded ‘TM’, from 15 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth, which operated from nearby Cambridge Airport.

In conclusion, the day was a feast of aerial performances and there was something to suit all tastes, be it old or new. The occasion was tinged with an air of sadness, for those that gave their lives and for the suffering of others but also with great pride for the men and women that continue in the great tradition of our Armed Forces. I would like to thank Tracey Woods, Marketing and Public Relations Manager and Sally Welsh, Marketing Administration Assistant of the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. Finally, thanks also are extended to Mr Steve Reglar, our media guide, for his patience and understanding. Mick Freer