Spitfire SL674

This Spitfire played an important part in my life, and indeed my wife’s, for it was the background for our wedding photos on the 21st May 1988. It was removed from display a year later, the wings used on a flying Spit (our Spit) and just recently I wanted to find out where it is now. This is what I have found out about a very loyal gate guardian.

 

Originally ordered on 1 February 1944, SL674 was to be one of a batch of 800 Mk 21 Spitfires forming the sixteenth order placed with the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory. The order was cancelled in August 1944 but partially reinstated for 558 Spitfire Mk IX which were eventually built as a mixed batch of Mks IX and XVI.

Delivered to No. 29 M.U. at High Ercall on 26 July 1945, SL674 had been built at the Castle Bromwich plant as a low-back Packard Merlin 266-powered L.F.XVIE. It was issued to No. 17 O.T.U. on 1 April 1946, but this posting was a short one and on 23 October the Spitfire was delivered to No. 6 M.U. at Brize Norton. Here it was prepared for service with No. 501 (County of Gloucester) Sqdn RAuxAF and delivered on 7 August 1947 as “RAB-R”.

Damage was inflicted during a landing accident at Filton on 4 September 1948 and repairs were effected by a party from No. 34 M.U. at Montford Bridge between 29 September and 8 November, when ’674 rejoined its unit.

The aircraft was transferred to No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Sqdn RAuxAF on 29 April 1949 and assumed the code “RAS-H”, which was later replaced by “8W-H”, here it remained until retired on 17 July 1951 and delivered to No. 9 M.U. at Cosford, where it remained until 11 September 1954, when it flew to Biggin Hill for exhibition alongside the Royal Air Force Memorial Chapel. At this point it was painted silver but soon repainted for display at Biggin Hill.

Short Finals

 

Unlike most of the other Spitfire gate guardians SL674 was not “called up” during the making of The Battle of Britain and remained at its post at Biggin Hill. It was refurbished at St Athan between 21 April and 8 June 1970 returning to be exhibited in a variety of paint schemes for a further 19 years. In 1987 it was removed for refurbishment at RAF Abingdon, returned resplendent in 612 (County of Aberdeen) Sqn RAuxAF markings and ‘RASH’.

Mark 12

 

21st May 1988. Our wedding day.

 

On my way to work one morning in February 1989 I drove past the Chapel and noticed they were dismantling SL674. I had my camera on me and stopped to take some pictures. I was told it was going to RAF St. Athan for storage. Note: by this time the first fibre glass replacement had arrived.

Tony Lewis

 

Here we see SL674 arriving at St. Athan with two other ex-gate guardians, EP120 (RAF Wattisham) and MK356 (RAF Locking). Here they were placed in storage and assessed for future use.

Si

 

It was found that although SL674 was in a poor condition, its wings were good and they were to be fitted to MK356 to make that plane airworthy. It now flies with the Battle of Britain Memorial flight (it was at this time whenever we saw MK356 at airshows, we would call it ‘our Spitfire’ even though in reality it was only the wings). Spitfire EP 120 is also flying again. They say things happen in 3's so let's hope SL674 will follow as well.

 

Meanwhile, SL674 was stripped of its paint and ‘cleaned up’. An employee at St. Athan, Si, told me ‘I spent about 6 months worth of weekends in the rear fuselage of this one, trying to get rid of the thick black preservative. It was hot, cramped and hard work, but great fun!’ After the work was done it was given a new coat of grey primer.

Si

 

SL674’s fuselage, and MK356’s wings, have now been transferred to Stafford for possible future exchange by the RAF Museum Reserve Collection.

 

 

It is hoped that one day in the future, SL674 will come back to Biggin Hill as a most welcome addition to a museum which is proposed for Biggin Hill. I for one will be there when it returns.


It’s interesting to note that MK356 now flies in the same colour scheme as SL674 had when it came to Biggin Hill in 1954 (but the wings have had extensions put on to give them the classic R. J. Mitchell design).

BBMF website

For more information about MK356, and other planes of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight,

check out their website.

 

 

And to finish, a lovely painting of SL674 in flight. The artist is unknown.

 

Unknown

 

 

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