Hawker Hurricane PZ865 & Supermarine Spitfire MK356 of the BBMF (Battle of Britain Memorial Flight) perform not one, but two displays over the home base RAF Coningsby.
MK356 Spitfire
MK356 is painted in desert camouflage, representing a Spitfire Mk IX of 92 Squadron in Tunisia in 1943. She was part of a batch of Mk IX Spitfires built at the Castle Bromwich factory in early 1944. It was fitted with full-span wingtips and a Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 engine with a two-speed, two-stage supercharger optimised for low altitudes, making it a L.F. (Low Flying) Mk IXe. On 4th February 1944 MK356 was delivered to the RAF, being flown from Castle Bromwich to No 9 Maintenance Unit at Cosford, where it was fitted with operational equipment. This remarkable and beautiful Spitfire has, therefore, just passed its 75th birthday.
On 11th March 1944 MK356 was allocated to the recently-formed 443 (‘Hornet’) Squadron RCAF, part of No 144 Canadian Wing at RAF Digby (only 10 miles from the aircraft’s current home at RAF Coningsby); it was issued to ‘B’ Flight and painted with the code letters ‘2I-V’. MK356 flew all of its 60 wartime operational sorties with this unit between 14th April and 14th June 1944. It took part in the D-Day operations and one of its pilots, Flying Officer Gordon Ockenden RCAF, claimed a shared confirmed kill against a German Me Bf109 on 7th June, D-Day+1.
After ‘belly landing’ with its undercarriage retracted on returning from its 60th wartime operation on 14th June 1944, MK356 spent over 53 years on the ground, whilst remaining in RAF hands. Having been returned to airworthy condition at St Athan, MK356 joined the BBMF collection in November 1997.
Hawker Hurricane PZ865
Hurricane PZ865 (Mk IIC) is the last of the few, in fact, the last ever built Hurricane out of of 14,533! Her current livery represents 247 Sqn night fighter intruder aircraft with code ‘ZY-V’.
The original ‘ZY-V’ was Hurricane IIC BE634 of 247 Sqn, which was based at Predannack and Exeter in 1942. It was involved in defensive night fighter patrols and night intruder operations over enemy territory. Unusually, the 247 Sqn Hurricanes wore half-sized roundels and code letters over their all-black night fighter camouflage.
The all-black night fighter Hurricanes of 247 Sqn were used for night air defence of the Plymouth and Exeter area and for night intruder operations against targets in north-western France.
What is the BBMF?
The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) operates from RAF Coningsby. The mission of the RAF BBMF is to maintain the priceless artefacts of our national heritage in airworthy condition in order to commemorate those who have fallen in the service of this country. The RAF BBMF also serves to promote the modern day Air Force and to inspire the future generations.
The Flight operates six Spitfires, two Hurricanes, a Lancaster, a C47 Dakota, and two Chipmunk aircraft (primarily for training). The aircraft are flown by regular RAF Aircrew.
HISTORY
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) was inaugurated on 11 July 1957 at RAF Biggin Hill. It was initially called the RAF Historic Aircraft Flight and consisted of three PR Mk XIX Spitfires and the RAF’s last airworthy Hurricane, LF363. It was then renamed to be the Battle of Britain Flight before a !nal renaming in 1969 to what it is known as today, BBMF. Between 1959 and 1965 the flight had one Spit!re (PM631) and one Hurricane (LF363) on its strength.
Now, as a ‘museum without walls’, it maintains twelve historic and irreplaceable aircraft: an Avro Lancaster, a C-47 Dakota, six Spitfires, two Hurricanes and two de Havilland Chipmunk training aircraft.
The BBMF is a regular RAF unit, manned by service personnel and funded by the Ministry of Defence.
MOTTO
“Lest We Forget”
The Lest We Forget motto of the RAF BBMF re"ects our mission and honours the thousands of men and women, in the air and on the ground, that gave their lives for this country in the noble pursuit of freedom.
#spitfire #hurricane #battleofbritain #coningsby #raf #warbirds #ww2 #warplanes #bbmf #rafconingsby #pilots #hawkerhurricane #typhoon #war #dday #veday75 #lincs
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