The first segment of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's display, featuring the Avro Lancaster and a pair of Supermarine Spitfires - Spitfire Mk. IIa, P7350 and Spitfire Mk. XVI, TE311 - during the Imperial War Museum Duxford's 'Best of 2021 Flying Day', on 9th October 2021. This was the Lancaster's first and last public display of 2021 away from her home base at RAF Coningsby, following completion of her 'Minor' Service at Duxford over the past 11 months.
Avro Lancaster PA474 is one of only two Lancaster aircraft remaining in airworthy condition out of the 7,377 that were built (the other is in Canada with the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Hamilton, Ontario).
The left-hand side of PA474 represents Lancaster BIII W5005 ‘AR-L’ “Leader” of 460 (Royal Australian Air Force) Squadron, with its nose art of a kangaroo in wellington boots playing bagpipes reflecting the mixed nationalities of the crew: Scottish, Welsh and Australian. The ‘bomb log’ on the nose shows a ‘snapshot in time’ at the point just after the 30th successful operation flown by W5005, to Munich on 6th September 1943. W5005 eventually completed 94 operations before ditching in the Humber on 27th August 1944, after having been transferred to 550 Squadron.
The right-hand side of PA474 wears the 50 Squadron code letters ‘VN-T’ representing Lancaster LL922 in which Flying Officer ‘Dougy’ Millikin (grandfather of the OC BBMF, Andy ‘Milli’ Millikin) and his wireless operator John Tait, flew 33 operations together. The starboard side of the Lancaster’s nose also bears the coat of arms and name of The City of Lincoln.The Avro Lancaster is the most famous and successful RAF heavy bomber of World War Two. It is a legend that lives on today and the contribution made by the aircraft and its crews to the freedom of our nation will, hopefully, never be forgotten. The prototype Lancaster took to the air for its first flight from Woodford, Manchester, on 9th January 1941; the first production Lancaster flew later that year on 31st October.
The first RAF unit to receive the new aircraft for operations (on Christmas Eve 1941) was No 44 Squadron at Waddington, quickly followed by 97 Squadron at Woodhall Spa. The performance of the Lancaster was simply outstanding. It could carry a maximum bomb load of 22,000 lb, its maximum level speed with a full load at 15,000 feet was 275 mph and it could cruise routinely at altitudes above 20,000ft at a range speed of 200 mph. With a full bomb load the aircraft had a range in excess of 1,500 miles. The Lancaster’s performance, its ruggedness, reliability and to many its sheer charisma, endeared it to its crews who were proud to fly this famous thoroughbred.
Supermarine Spitfire IIa, P7350 'KL-B', is the only Spitfire still flying today which flew and fought in the Battle of Britain. It was part of the first batch of Spitfires built at the Castle Bromwich factory and went to the RAF on 13th August 1940. With the Battle of Britain at its height, P7350 served with No 266 Squadron, at Wittering and Hornchurch, and then with 603 Squadron AuxAF at Hornchurch. On 25th October 1940, while being flown by Polish pilot Ludwik Martel, P7350 was hit by cannon fire from a German Bf109 and force-landed wheels-up in a field near Hastings. After repair P7350 continued to fly operationally until April 1942, after which it was used in training roles until being placed in storage in 1944. In 1948 P7350 was sold for scrap for £25, but fortunately it was saved and gifted to a museum. The making of the movie ‘Battle of Britain’ saw Spitfire P7350 emerge from 20 years of dormancy when she was made airworthy to fly in the film. When filming was completed in November 1968, P7350 joined the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight where she remains today.
P7350 now wears the colour scheme of 54 Squadron Spitfire Mk 1 R6895, ‘KL-B’, “KIWI III”, the personal aircraft of New Zealander Al Deere from 10th July 1940 until 31st August.
Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XVIe, TE311 was built at Castle Bromwich in 1945. It was delivered to the RAF on 8th June 1945. It flew only around 30 hours before it was grounded in December 1954. From 1955 to 1967 it was a ‘gate guardian’ at RAF Tangmere. In 1968 it was used in ground sequences for the film ‘Battle of Britain’. Later it was part of the RAF Exhibition Flight .
In January 2000 it was delivered to RAF Coningsby and allocated to the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) for spare parts. The BBMF decided to re-build it to flying condition ,which was completed in 2012.
TE311 now represents Spitfire Mk XVI TD240 ‘SZ-G’, the personal aircraft of the Commanding Officer of No 131 (Polish) Wing, Group Captain Aleksander Gabszewicz VM KW DSO DFC, from April 1945 to mid-June 1945.
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