Spitfire AA810

Major Announcement! Today the UK CAA have issued AA810 with its new civilian registration: G-PRID. This was chosen by the project as it pays homage to the pedigree of the PR.IV; the production version of the PR.1D, & officially places AA810 on the UK Aircraft Register. #Spitfire

SPITFIRE SUNDAY Today it’s PR.XI EN671 of 682 Sqn at Pomigliano in 1944. Delivered to Benson in July 1943, the aircraft moved to 682 Sqn in August 1943. It was lost on operations near Trieste with 683 Sqn on the 28th Dec 1944. F/o John Gourley was KIA and is buried in Italy.

Well done those who got Brighton!!

BRITAIN FROM ABOVE It wasn’t just the RAF who carried out test aerial photography over the UK as part of training, the Germans had an interest in what was going on here as well. This image was taken in 1943 by the Luftwaffe, but where does it show? Answers at 2000hrs tonight

MOSQUITO MONDAY Today we feature PR.XVI NS524 of 684 Sqn based in the Far East. This aircraft broke up in Monsoon weather whilst flying a reconnaissance sortie on the 18th April 1945, killing pilot F/Lt Ken Newman and navigator W/O John Preston.

SPITFIRE SUNDAY Today’s aircraft is PR.IV BS491 operating from Gibraltar in 1943, from a private album we have been fortunate enough to have been given access to. BS491 would be lost returning to the UK in December 1943 when the aircraft ran out of fuel in bad weather.

from New South Wales Australia who served with No. 1PRU during 1941. He would be posted MIA in September 1944 whilst flying a Mosquito in a support role for Bomber Command.

ANZAC DAY 2026 As part of our stories for VE Day, today also marks ANZAC day, and some 107 Australian and 54 New Zealand nationals are due to be commemorated on our monument. Of those some 68 would become casualties. People like S/Ldr John Harry Mackellar Chisholm (pictured)

MOSQUITO MONDAY Today we feature PR.XVI RF993 taken most likely at Melsbroek. The aircraft served with 140 Sqn before passing to the French Air Force in July 1946.

SPITFIRE SUNDAY Today we feature Spitfire PR.XI MB953 taken when part of 16 Sqn. First flown in October 1943, the aircraft flew operationally on D-Day, survived the war and was scrapped in January 1949.

already been photographing Russian oilfields in Baku, arriving back at Heston on the 15th April. It would spend the rest of its service life operating in the Mediterranean before being destroyed in an air raid on Crete in the 22nd March 1941.

TODAY IN 1940 The Lockheed Hudson official becomes operational with the RAF, however unofficially, examples had already been operational for some weeks with the Photographic Development Unit at Heston. G-AGAR shown here joined the PDU on the 4th March, by today in 1940 it had

good stead for the rest of my life.” We hoped to interview Sybil early in 2025 as we believed her to be the last living Second World War PI but unfortunately her health prohibited a visit. Rest in Peace Sybil. @Danesfieldhouse

photographic intelligence at Medmenham, so it was all top secret and very demanding, an exacting job. It was my role to coordinate maps for the plotters, we had to work together, but it was like stepping into another world, the discipline and demands of it. But it stood me in

SYBIL PIPER 1925 - 2026 The project was saddened to learn yesterday of the passing of former WAAF PI Sybil who died peacefully on Sunday. Sybil joined the WAAF and aged 19 was posted to RAF Medmenham for PI duties. Interviewed in 2025 Sybil said: “We specialised in

this photo showing that more than 1000 buildings were completely destroyed with the bombing impacting some 98% of the city infrastructure.

TODAY IN 1945 The RAF bombed Potsdam Old Town, a deliberate act to unsettle the civilian population as the Allies drew nearer to Berlin. Some 490 Lancasters dropped 1,700 tonnes of bombs, killing 1,593 residents and leaving another 60,000 homeless. RAF PR the next morning took

MOSQUITO MONDAY Today it’s PR.IX LR435 of 540 Sqn which had an unexpected arrival in Sweden on the 9th Aug 44 after an engine fire in flight during a recon of Koeningsberg, Gdynia, & Danzig. F/Lt John Richards & nav P/o Rodney Barents were interred but later returned to the UK.

SPITFIRE SUNDAY Today’s aircraft is Spitfire PR.XI PM133 of 400 Squadron. Reputedly taken at RAF Benson, this aircraft would survive the war ultimately becoming an instructional airframe in 1947

down in January 1941 was one of the few escapers not to be shot by the Gestapo.

GREAT ESCAPE PR AIRMEN podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for… In the next of the episodes on those men from PR in the great escape, For You The War Is Over covered Henry 'Johnny' Marshall, the second man out of tunnel Harry. Marshall served with 3PRU and was shot