70th. ANNIVERSARY OF THE SPITFIRE

ABOVE: Facsimile of Spitfire prototype K5054 first test flown from Eastleigh Airport 5th March 1936.
RIGHT: R.J.Mitchell's winning Supermarine Schneider Trophy plane S1595 fore-runner of the Spitfire.

ABOVE: R.J. Mitchell - Designer of the famous Spitfire fighter.
LEFT: A Spitfire Mk.Vc in flight.

On Sunday 5th March 2006 at exactly 4.30pm a Spitfire took off from Eastleigh Airport, just as its predecessor K5054, the prototype, had done exactly 70 years before. It was a freezing cold day, but for those who braved the weather the sight of a flight of five Spitfires flying low in formation over the Southampton area and down the Solent and back was well worth it!
A reminder of the debt this country owes to its designer R.J.Mitchell and the brave men who flew the planes during the Battle of Britain.

DONATION

You will notice a change to the format of the printed Westender from this edition - the back page is now used for advertising; McCarthy & Stone (based in Bournemouth) have made a donation to help support the publication of Westender and in return we will be displaying an advertisement for their prestigious development of retirement apartments on the site of the old "Sportsman" pub here in West End. We would like to thank McCarthy & Stone for this donation as well as a previous kindness, in presenting our Museum with the large pub sign from The Sportsman pub (see Westender edition of July - September 2003 Vol 3 Number 12  for the full story). Its encouraging to see a local company supporting heritage, long may the trend continue!