The Spirit of Kent will be flying high this summer as the county’s very own Spitfire takes to the air.
The restored fighter is flown at displays in memory of the 131 County of Kent Squadron – a wartime RAF unit whose Spitfires were funded entirely by donations from people who lived in the county.
Known as the Kent Spitfire the veteran aircraft had the “Spirit ..” motto emblazoned on its body after it was bought by Peter Monk and Mike Simpson in 2006 after it had been restored following long service in South Africa and eventual scrapping.
Robin Brooks, from Maidstone, has written extensively about the aircraft and its history.
He said: “When you think about the Battle of Britain you think about the Spitfire and Hurricane, and during those days the skies above Kent swarmed with them.
“The fact that the people of Kent actually clubbed together enough money to fund a whole squadron shows how much the aircraft was held in high esteem.
“We feel it still is and a Spitfire in the skies above is an inspiring site. It was restored to former glories to commemorate the people of the county and the fact that the Battle of Britain was fought overhead.
“It brings back memories for older people and now that the Second World War is taught in schools younger generations are become more aware of its significance.”
The aircraft now known as the Kent Spitfire was built at the Supermarine works in Castle Bromwich and went into service in 1944.
For the latter part of the war it was flown from Bentwaters in Suffolk by 234 Squadron but after the conflict was over it was shipped off to the South African Air Force.
The plane saw service until 1954 when it was scrapped and its remains lay undiscovered for 27 years.
And it was a further 14 years before restoration work started when engineers from Airframe Assembles of the Isle of Wight started a rebuilding operation after what was left of it had been bought back to the UK.
The Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford, just outside Cambridge, completed the job and Mr Monk and Mr Simpson – both originally from Kent – bought the aircraft and moved it to Biggin Hill with the idea of showing it at aerial displays.
On Saturday May 24 it will stage a flypast over the Hawkinge Battle of Britain Museum and the following day it will be at Manston in Thanet.
Then on Sunday June 15 it will overfly the County Showground at Detling as part of a festival organised by rotary clubs, before taking part in the County Show at the same venue in mid July.
POSTED: 18/05/2008 09:00:00