posted 03-05-2006 10:24 AM
Sunday 5 March 2006 is exactly 70 years after the original flight of the British Spitfire aircraft took place. This aircraft was the saviour of Britain during the ariel battles of 'Battle of Britain' between the Nazi aircraft and the Spitfires and Hurricans. We won that - just ! I doubt if I'd be writing this now if we had not won that battle.Back in 1997 I flew a commemorative Royal Mail stamp - featuring the Spitfire and its designer Reginald Mitchell - onboard the Russian MIR space station.It was stamped aboard MIR and signed by teh cosmonauts. Later, on its return, it was mounted onto a specially commissioned painting that features Mitchell,the Spitfire and the MIR space station.The stamp is also signed by a Spitfire ace pilot.
The stamp and painting have been exhibited a couple of times in UK including at Stoke-on-Trent Museum - which houses one of the few remaining Spitfires.
I'm proud to be associated with the 70th anniversary since Reginal Mitchell was born in Butt Lane,Stoke-on-Trent - just 7 miles from where I now live. When I was child growing up I went to the Reginald Mitchell Primary School - right behind the house where Mitchell was born. I vaguely remember Johnnie Johnson and other RAF bigwigs coming to the school when it was renamed in honour of Mitchell back in late 50's. There was a fly past of five or six (maybe more - I was still young then - so can't quite rememeber how many!) flying over the school . There was a lone Spitfire flypast over Butt Lane and Newcastle,Staffs on the 60th anniversary back in 1996 as well.
Additionally, my great, great uncle Burgess taught science to Mitchell when he was a young student at Hanley High School - again just a few miles from where I live.
An additional link is with my great uncle Philip (after whom I named) who was based in Southampton (where today's 70th Spitfire celebrations are taking place) . He was a radio operator on the Empress flying boats and was on a couple of record breaking flights by those aircraft.
I've a couple images somewhere of the plaque on the house of Mitchell's birth place (now a funeral parlour) and some images of the Spitfire aircraft relics that the school has including a cutaway Merlin engine and a Spitfire wooden propellor. There are numerous signed letters hanging on its walls from the likes of Douglas Bader,Johnnie Johnson and RAF Commordores to the school on its renaming ceremony.
I did a special celebration talk about spaceflight - with the flown Spitfire stamp and painting on display - to the then children at the Butt Lane Primary School.
Phill Parker
UK
[This message has been edited by collectSPACE Admin (edited March 05, 2006).]
posted 03-05-2006 10:24 AM
advertisement