ndicki
Charter Member 2016
A Spitfire's story...
Spitfire LF.Mk IX ML119 left Castle Bromwich and was flown to No.9 MU on 24th March 1944. After acceptance, she was issued on 4th April to No.1 Squadron where she was assigned the codes JX-B and became the mount of Squadron Leader Pat Lardner Burke. When he left No.1 Squadron to become Wing Leader of the Coltishall Wing, ML119 stayed with the Squadron.
In due course, on 6th December 1946, ML119 was transferred to the Czechoslovakian Air Force where she became S.89 - the CzAF appellation for the Spitfire - A-719.
When as a result of Soviet pressure the CzAF was forced to get rid of its British-supplied aircraft, ML119 went through another change of identity and was sold to the budding Israeli Air Force, being taken on charge on 15th December 1948 under the serial 2020.
ML119 stayed in Israel until 15th February 1955 when she was sold to the Burmese Air Force and became UB-441. This was her final service identity. She stayed on operational service until 1965, when she was selected to serve as gate guardian at Mingaladon Air Base, where she stayed until 1998.
In 1998 she was bought by an American collector and subsequently found her way back to England. She is currently registered G-SDNI and is apparently undergoing restoration.
Release soon...
Spitfire LF.Mk IX ML119 left Castle Bromwich and was flown to No.9 MU on 24th March 1944. After acceptance, she was issued on 4th April to No.1 Squadron where she was assigned the codes JX-B and became the mount of Squadron Leader Pat Lardner Burke. When he left No.1 Squadron to become Wing Leader of the Coltishall Wing, ML119 stayed with the Squadron.
In due course, on 6th December 1946, ML119 was transferred to the Czechoslovakian Air Force where she became S.89 - the CzAF appellation for the Spitfire - A-719.
When as a result of Soviet pressure the CzAF was forced to get rid of its British-supplied aircraft, ML119 went through another change of identity and was sold to the budding Israeli Air Force, being taken on charge on 15th December 1948 under the serial 2020.
ML119 stayed in Israel until 15th February 1955 when she was sold to the Burmese Air Force and became UB-441. This was her final service identity. She stayed on operational service until 1965, when she was selected to serve as gate guardian at Mingaladon Air Base, where she stayed until 1998.
In 1998 she was bought by an American collector and subsequently found her way back to England. She is currently registered G-SDNI and is apparently undergoing restoration.
Release soon...
