spitfire

[sidwho]

while travelling throu castel vale saw a big top tent, went and had a look and saw a spitfire an the back of a car trailer with main wings swept back. managed to take a few pictures, will try to upload later. managed to get a few words with the persons car the trailer was hiched upto. he said that the castel vale show was on Saturday and a propeller was going to be presented for something will try to find out more , kind reguards sidwho

 

[Vivienne14]

Lucky so and so Sid. Be great to see any photos if you can upload them. Viv.

 

[anvil man]

Here in Pembroke we have a very active society reconstructing a Spitfire, They even raise funds via their own charity shop.

 

[csmith604]

There was a programme on the tv last night about the Spitfire, and they said half of them were built at Castle Bromwich, it was a good programme

 

[anvil man]

I seem to remember all sorts of aeroplane wings and fusilages being transported on 60ft traillers along the Bristol Rd at Selly Oak towards were we kids thought was Castlebromwich.

 

[sidwho]

test upload of spitfire on trailer

 

[BernardR]

This may be of interest - [h=1]Danish Presentation Spitfires at War[/h]During the Second World War not only Danish men and women were in the air. Free Danes abroad donated £ 40,113 for a number of Spitfires flown by Danish pilots in Royal Air Force squadrons.

 

[maypolebaz]

When I was a kid we used to ride our bikes to Evesham a lot. I remember there was a garage on our route, in Studley, that we used to pass that had a Spitfire on its forecourt. We didn't even bother to stop and look at it, Spits were common in the late 40s-early 50s.

 

[Vivienne14]

Recently I watched the John Sergeant program: "The Spitfire, Britain's Flying Past" and managed to get a few photos of the planes being built at the Castle Bromwich factory during WW2. Viv.

 

[jennyann]

Thanks for posting the photos Viv. It's always great to see photos of the assembly lines,etc.

 

[sidwho]

hi all great pics of spifire production in factory, if you put in a search on google for spitfire factory Birmingham you should get quite a few more, the one of the toolroom shows most of the toolmakers in coller and tyies. I don't think that this is the norm for dress today, kind reguards sidwho

 

[Beryl Stroud Edmonds]

Also watched the John Sergeant program on the Spitfires. Very interested because my husbands parents, Walter and Iris Edmonds, both worked at the Castle Bromwich Factory, this is where they met each other. Walter was a Supervisor and Iris worked on the Wing Section. Walter left after joining the Amy during WW2.

 

[coalman]

View attachment 92642

I am actually rebuilding a Spitfire ( albeit very slowly )so photographs showing production can be very useful for my project.

Anybody who has found any original photographs, manuals and even any original bolts/nuts/parts etc then please get in touch.

Regards

John

 

[Lynsey Rutter]

Also watched the John Sergeant program on the Spitfires. Very interested because my husbands parents, Walter and Iris Edmonds, both worked at the Castle Bromwich Factory, this is where they met each other. Walter was a Supervisor and Iris worked on the Wing Section. Walter left after joining the Amy during WW2.

Hi,

I work for Birmingham Museums and we are looking for people who worked on the Spitfire to interview them for a new exhibition. I was just wondering if your husband's parents would be interested in sharing their story, if they are still with us of course. We are also looking for photos or memorabilia from that time. Please do get in touch if you can help at all.

Many Thanks,

Lynsey Rutter (nee Fairweather)
Participation Coordinator, Birmingham Museums Trust

T: NEW 0121 3488271
E: [email protected]
T: @LynseyFair
B: https://blog.thinktank.ac
www.birminghammuseums.org.uk
www.thinktank.ac
​

 

[maypolebaz]

A Spitfire just flew over here, heading north west.
That's a sound you never forget !

 

[johnmorris]

The Memorial Flight is based at RAF Conningsby in Linconshire They have one or more Spitfires also a Lancaster. They can be booked for a fly past. They come over the North Worcester NVTEC Show in June. You can visit and walk down one side of the hanger where they are stored on days when they are not flying.

 

[anvil man]

In Pembrokeshire there is a Spit Fire restoration Company with a charity shop assisting in their money raising efforts. The enamel advertising aid looks particularly impressive with a lovely picture of a Spit Fire.

 

[norfolk brummie]

Most enjoyable day yesterday at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. Accompanied by my son in laws elder brother. Very knowledgeable man. (Ex. Phantom pilot, Memorial Flight Spitfire pilot, and ex. Cathay Pacific Captain). Now retired.

On display there is a beautifully restored 1939 MK1 Spitfire, originally built at Castle Bromwich.

I wanted to cover it with a large MADE IN BIRMINGHAM label, but I doubt the museum curators would have approved.

Currently, there are around six or seven Spitfires on display, but sadly, no Hurricane. Eddie.

Eddie.

 

[coalman]

Most enjoyable day yesterday at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. Accompanied by my son in laws elder brother. Very knowledgeable man. (Ex. Phantom pilot, Memorial Flight Spitfire pilot, and ex. Cathay Pacific Captain). Now retired.

On display there is a beautifully restored 1939 MK1 Spitfire, originally built at Castle Bromwich.

I wanted to cover it with a large MADE IN BIRMINGHAM label, but I doubt the museum curators would have approved.

Currently, there are around six or seven Spitfires on display, but sadly, no Hurricane. Eddie.

Eddie.

Hello Eddie,

Yes Duxford is a fantastic place to visit especially as it was the first RAF station to have the Spitfire with 19squadron in 1938 and still has them flying from there, however no Mk1 spitfire was ever built in Birmingham, all Mk1's were built in Southampton, the first Spitfire completed at Castle Bromwich was in June 1940 and was a MkII (Mk2), and test flown by Alex Henshaw.

Regards

John

 

[oldbrit]

Well at least Eddie you were made in BRUM! EDDIE. Did you drop by Lakenheath Paul was there for a few weeks, or have they closed that one? John Crump OldBrit Parker, Colorado USA

 

[norfolk brummie]

John (coalman). You should be working at Duxford. About the only time that I was on my own was while looking at the Spitfire in question.

I asked a member of staff where it had been built, and I was told "Castle Bromwich". Still, with Birmingham's contribution in WW2, I would still feel proud to label a few things MADE IN BIRMINGHAM.

Many thanks for your correction.

To my buddy John in the USA, Thanks for the compliment. Lakenheath is still going very strong John. I believe that it is the biggest permanent USSAF base outside the USA. Eddie

 

[MichaelG63]

When anyone mentions the Spitfire someone with invariably say 'the Hurricane shot down more enemy aircraft'. What they don't mention (or don't know) is that there were only 19 squadrons of Spitfire compared to the Hurricane's 30, so if you adjust the figures to take that into account, the Spitfire had the higher kill rate. Here's the relevant information, but the whole site is worth a look.

https://www.rjmitchell-spitfire.co.uk/battleofbritain/roleofthespitfire.asp?sectionID=8

 

[coalman]

Hello,

Pleased to attach a photo of an original Modification plate which you would find on most of the sub assemblies of the Spitfire built at Castle Bromwich, such as the fuselage ( one on the firewall and one in the cockpit), wings, flaps, tail unit and tail planes, this particular one is from the Firewall behind the merlin engine.
The 2nd plate is one that you would find alongside the Modification plate on all the same places, I found an original one ( please see photo 3)some years ago then last year I located the original manufacturer who was still in business and could still produce them all to the original specification, so I had them put back into production and has proved a popular item.



Hope the above is of some interest

Regards

John

 

[Vivienne14]

A commemorative plaque has been placed at the Jaguar Castle Bromwich site to mark the role the factory played in Spitfire history. Article link below. Viv.

Jaguar helps 19 (Fighter) Squadron mark its centenary at Castle Bromwich plant
https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/jaguar-helps-19-fighter-squadron-10393643

 

[coalman]

I am sure there was a plaque at the original entrance which was unveiled by Alex Henshaw back in the 1990's which was then moved into the factory when the entrance was updated, as I was there watching the spitfire flyover the factory which itself was built there in 1944.
So is it the same plaque or a different one?
Its a shame that the person who is rebuilding a spitfire in Birmingham which served with 19 squadron being flown in the battle of Britain was not invited to put on a display of it.

 

[Vivienne14]

Sorry, Coalman, I think I've misled readers. The plaque is to mark the centenary of 19 Fighter Squadron which formed at the site rather than the Spitfire itself. Although 19 Squadron was the first to receive a Spitfire in WW2. So I assume then there are two plaques now at the site; one celebrating Spitfire history, the other celebrating 19 Squadro, going back to RFC days. Viv.

 

[Astonian]

Hi viviene
did you know that the last of the 12,000 spitfires flew of the production line at castle bromwich factory in 1946
, it was numbered pk 726,
alan ,, astonian;;

 

[Vivienne14]

No didn't know that Alan. My main interest in Castle Brom is that my dad was in the RAF (he was a flight engineer on Lancasters in WW2 and was very familiar with Castle Brom) but something my aunt told me after he passed away has baffled me for some time. According to her, after the War, he worked for Nuffields (she said it was hush hush work) and I wondered if it was anything to do with the factory at Castle Brom and the Cold War. Never managed to track anything down in connection with Nuffields, although family myths can sometimes turn up interesting info (or could of course be complete balony). I do wonder what was the role of factories like that at Castle Bromwich immediately after the War. Viv.j

 

[Di.Poppitt]

We live a hop skip and a jump, as the crow flies, from Duxford and ocasionally a spit flies over the house,
they are such beauties and one once gave us a wag of its wings as it flew over.

During the war my mother worked at a small engineering factory where they they riveted the canopies ready for them to be fixed to the 'plane. She inspected canopies to make sure the rivets were all as they should be. A few weeks ago we watched a program where a spitfire was being restored, suddenly someone had a rivet from the canopy in his hand, I didn't hear too much what they said because I was yelling to my husband 'look, look, one of mom's rivets'

 

[Astonian]

DURING ONE OF BIRMINGHAM,S THREE ZEPPLIN RAIDS , BOMBS WAS DROPPED IN FIELDS BETWEEN FOX HOLLIES ROAD AND SHIRLEY ROAD
IN FEBUARY 1916 , 35 PEOPLE , INCLUDING THE LADY MAYORESS OF WALSALL , WERE KILLED WHEN WHEN NINE ZEPPELINS PENETRATED INLAND ,
MISSED BIRMINGHAM , AND DROPPED BOMBS ACROSS PARTS OF THE BLACK COUNTRY.
WALSALL,S WAR MEMORIAL IS LOCATED AT THE SPOT WHERE SHE DIED.

THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS COMPANY [ BSA ] SUPPLIED LEWIS GUNS ,TO THE BRITISH ARMY.
PRODUCTION INCREASED FROM 30 GUNS PER WEEK IN 1914 TO 2,OOO PER WEEK BY 1918.
US ARMY COLONEL ISSAC NEWTON LEWIS DESIGNED THE AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUN
BEST WISHES TO ONE AND ALL ALAN;; Astonian;;