Spitfire Mk Vb AB910
Spitfire Mk Vb AB910 flew 143 operational missions in a remarkable wartime history that spanned almost 3 years on‘ ops’. Initially allocated to 222( Natal) Sqn at North Weald in August 1941, the aircraft was damaged during a forced landing at Lympne within days of arriving. After repair, it was re-allocated to 130 Sqn at Perranporth, Cornwall, flying convoy protection patrols and escorting daylight bombing raids. In June 1942, the aircraft was delivered to 133( Eagle) Sqn at Biggin Hill.‘ AB’ flew 29‘ ops’ with this unit, including four sorties on 19 August 1942 during the fierce aerial battle in support of Operation‘ Jubilee’, the Dieppe Raid. One of her pilots, Flt Sgt‘ Dixie’ Alexander, was credited with destroying a Dornier 217 bomber in AB910 during these combats.
AB910 continued to fly operationally up to July 1944, serving with 242, 416 and 402( RCAF) Sqns, flying numerous cover patrols with the latter over the D-Day invasion beach heads on 6 June 1944 and afterwards. From mid-July 1944, AB910 was relegated to support duties, initially with 53 OTU at Hibaldstow and later 527 Sqn( a radar calibration unit). On 14 February 1945, whilst at Hibaldstow,‘ AB’ famously flew with a girl on the tail! LACW Margaret Horton, a WAAF ground-crew fitter, was sitting on the tail whilst the aircraft taxied out to the take-off point( as was standard practice in rough weather) without the pilot, Flt Lt Neil Cox DFC *, realising her presence. He then took off with Margaret still there. The combination of her weight on the tail and her grip on the elevator very nearly had disastrous results, but fortunately Neil was able to maintain control and one circuit later he landed with a considerably shaken WAAF still wrapped around the fin. Post-war,‘ AB’ was‘ demobbed’ and flew as an air racer for 6 years before being returned to Vickers- Armstrong for refurbishment in 1953. After this it was displayed regularly by the renowned Spitfire test pilot Jeffrey Quill until being donated by the company to the BBMF in 1965. AB910 is now painted in the markings she actually wore whilst serving with 402( City of Winnipeg) Sqn RCAF during the D-Day period in 1944, with full invasion stripes. AB910’ s principal pilot during the D-Day period was Fg Off George“ Geordie” Boyd Lawson who came from Hamilton, Ontario.