Dates

Event

1943

Constructed as a Spitfire LF.IX by Vickers-Armstrong at Castle Bromwich.

August 1943

Test flown by Alex Henshaw.

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Air Force with s/n MH434.

Circa September 1943

Transferred to 222SQN.
It was flown in combat by South African pilot Flt Lt Henry Lardner-Burke. On the 27 August in the St Omar area over France, Lardner-Burke shot down a Focke-Wulf FW-190 and damaged a second during a mission to escort USAAF B-17 bombers. On the 5 September 1943 Lardner-Burke and MH434 shot down another FW-190 in the Nieuport area, and on the 8 September 1943 claimed a half share in the downing of a Messerschmitt Bf-109G in Northern France.

1944

Transferred to 350SQN, RAF Hornchurch.

Circa 1944

Transferred to 222SQN.

March 1945

Withdrawn from use.

1947

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Koninklijke Luchtmacht / Royal Netherlands Air Force with s/n H-105.

From 13 June 1947 to 13 July 1947

Transported by ship.
Shipped from Tilbury to NEI arriving at Batavia.

Transferred to 322SQN.
Mainly ground strafing and light bombing missions.

Crashed.
At Semerang, Java.

Assigned to KLu for storage.

1948

New serial number assigned: H-68 KLu

1950

Transported by ship.
Shipped to Holland.

Circa 1953

Repaired.
Overhauled.

10 March 1953

First post-reassembly Flight.
In Holland.

9 October 1953

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Force Arienne Belge with s/n SM-13.
The delivery date is provided.

19 March 1954

Involved in an incident. Details not available.

May 1954

Transferred to 13 Wing.

Transferred to Advanced Pilot School, Koksijde.

Transferred to 13 Wing, Brustem.

Struck off Strength/Charge from the Force Arienne Belge.

26 March 1956

To COGEA Nouvelle, Keerbergen with new c/r OO-ARA.

Circa 1958

Photographer: Jules Bastyns collection via Steven Volckaerts

From Unknown to 1963

To COGEA Nouvelle, Ostend keeping c/r OO-ARA.

Used for target tug contracts with Belgian AF and NATO.

1961

Withdrawn from use.
Retired in France. after flying in movie The Longest Day.

January 1962

Transported by ground.
Returned to Belgium by road dismantled.

29 June 1963

Moved to Stansted then Elstree for a full overhaul.

From June 1963 to 1967

To Tim A. Davies, Elstree with new c/r G-ASJV.

29 June 1963

Ferry flight.
Delivered from Belgium to Stansted.

3 July 1963

Civil registration, OO-ARA, cancelled.

From 3 July 1967 to 9 November 1967

To Tim Davies keeping c/r G-ASJV.

Test flown Elstree 15.8.63 after civil certification.

Circa 1967

Flew in the film Operation Crossbow.

From 30 October 1967 to 20 February 1972

To Film Aviation Services/Tom G. (Hammish) Mahaddie, Elstree keeping c/r G-ASJV.
With Spitfire Productions Ltd. Flew in the film Battle of Britain.

1968

Used in the filming of the movie, Battle of Britain.

Photographer: Unknown Photographer

From February 1969 to 1973

To Sir Adrian C. Swire, Booker and Duxford.

From 23 February 1972 to 11 September 1973

To Sir Adrian Swire, Chairman of Cathy Pacific Airways keeping c/r G-ASJV.

23 February 1972

Markings Applied: AC-S
In 1944 WWII c/s coded with the initials of Sir Adrian Swire.

From 11 September 1973 to 11 May 1983

To Airborne Taxi Services Ltd keeping c/r G-ASJV.
Participated in the film A Bridge Too Far. Based at Booker airfield, High Wycombe.

Markings Applied: AC S, MH434

30 August 1976

Photographer: Peter Nicholson
Notes: Spitfire LF.IX as seen at Old Warden in the Summer of 1976.

8 July 1978

Photographer: Peter Nicholson
Notes: This Spitfire LF.IXb attended the 1978 Blackpool Airshow in Lancashire.

11 August 1982

Photographer: Robert Nichols
Notes: at RAF St Mawgan Airshow

From 23 May 1983 to 6 April 1999

To Nalfire Aviation Ltd keeping c/r G-ASJV.
Initially based at Cranwell.

Ray G. Hanna/ Nalfire Aviation Ltd/ Merlin Aviation Ltd/Old Flying Machine Company/Merlin Aviation, Duxford 14.4.83/20.

Markings Applied: ZD B, MH434

Circa 1984

Photographer: Unknown

By 1985

Based at The Old Flying Machine Company, Duxford Airport, Duxford, Cambridgeshire/Cambs, England.
View the Location Dossier

By 1985

Markings Applied: ZD-B
In markings of 222Sqn (these are the markings the aircraft normally flies in except when being used for films, TV etc).

24 May 1986

Photographer: Robert Nichols
Notes: at RAF Mildenhall Air Fete 86

By 22 September 1990

Markings Applied: CK D

By September 1991

Markings Applied: CK D

September 1991

Photographer: Jacqueline Fischer
Notes: Kleine Brogel Air Force Base, Belgium

By 29 May 1993

Markings Applied: AV H

29 May 1993

Photographer: Robert Nichols
Notes: At RAF Mildenhall Air Fete 1993

1998

Markings Applied: SZ G, PK K
Displayed in markings of 316 (Polish) Squadron RAF as SZ-G and 315 (Polish) Squadron RAF as PK-K.

6 April 1999

To Merlin Aviation Ltd, Duxford Airfield, Cambridge keeping c/r G-ASJV.

By July 2000

Markings Applied: ZD B
In the markings of 222Sqn.

2 July 2000

Photographer: Robert Nichols
Notes: Zeltweg Air Show, Austria. Part of a Red Bull sponsored display

23 June 2013

Photographer: Richard Flagg (with written permission of Old Buck Shots)
Notes: 2013 photo at Old Buckenham in the UK

2014

At Biggin Hill.

4 June 2019

Photographer: Robert Nichols

9 June 2019

Photographer: Ronald van der Valk
Notes: at the Oostwold Airshow, Oostwold airfield, the Netherlands (EHOW).

9 June 2019

Photographer: Ronald van der Valk
Notes: at Oostwold Airshow, Oostwold airfiled, the Netherlands (EHOW).