MH434
SPITFIRE IX: ROLL THE CREDITS*
MH434 in the scheme adopted for the TV mini-series ‘Piece of Cake’, at Duxford in
February 1988. PETER GREEN
Release Title Role etc
1962 The Longest Day One of four supplied by
COGEA; MH434 believed to have
been readied for use, but
remained in reserve.
1965 Operation Crossbow Photo-recce sortie; painted in
PRU blue.
1969 Battle of Britain Flew with a variety of ‘serials’
and code letters.
1977 A Bridge Too Far Dramatic low-level run and wing
waggle over Dutch schoolboy.
1987 Hope and Glory Victory roll over a
Messerschmitt shoot down.
1988 Piece of Cake TV mini-series about Battle
of Britain pilots; including
superb sequence when Ray
Hanna fl ew MH434 under a
river bridge.
1989 Agatha Christie’s Poirot Series 1, The Incredible Theft
episode; MH434 played the
‘Mayfi eld Kestrel’ prototype.
1998 Land Girls Aerobatics to celebrate a
‘Presentation Spitfi re’.
2001 Dark Blue World Czechoslovakian pilots during
the Battle of Britain.
- A selection of MH434’s many roles in front of the camera:
these have included at least one TV advert and an ITV-produced
documentary entitled Spitfi re MH434.
JOB HUNTING
“I flew around the UK, firstly to
the aircraft manufacturing plants,
hoping I could get a job checking
machines just off the production
line. However, there was no chance;
the factories had a long list of
applicants for those testing positions.
“On the fourth day, as I was over
Stamford in Lincolnshire, I spotted
the three-mile long grass strip
joining Wittering and Collyweston
airfields. I was curious to see
captured German aircraft parked
there. I continued around to see at
the southern side, a collection of the
latest American and British fighters.
“I landed and enquired as to what
units were there. I was informed
that at the western end there was
the Enemy Aircraft Flight and on
the southern side the Air Fighting
Development Unit [AFDU]. I was
told that although they were one
down in the complement of seven
staff pilots, only very experienced
fighter pilots with additional
multi-engine experience would be
considered for the position.”DOUBLE BLUFF
“On returning to Friston the winco
asked me if I had found a position.
I told him about the AFDU but
added that I lacked the required
experience. He said: ‘Look, I will
give you a letter listing your ability
and adding that you have 200 hours
twin-engine time. See if you can
bluff your way with that’.
“I sent off a signal to Wittering,
requesting an interview for the staff
pilot position. To my surprise, a
reply came back that night, advising
me to be available at 10am the next
day. I was at Wittering at 9am.
At the start of the interview, WgCdr Wright firstly asked me for
my logbook. I explained that pilots
were not allowed to fly with that
document. He conceded that to be
correct and asked what operations I
had been on. I listed the lot, but he
immediately became interested in
the fact that I had completed
dive-bombing sorties against buzz-
bomb sites.
“As AFDU had a dive-bombing
trial in preparation, using some
additional equipment to hopefully
improve accuracy, those sorties got
me the position of a staff pilot.”
There was a transport flight
attached to AFDU with Airspeed
Oxfords and Avro Ansons. Bill was
quick to get his head into the pilot’s
notes and build some time on twins.
When his logbooks went over to
the winco to verify and sign, Bill
had accumulated quite a bit of twin
time. He noted: “I doubt if he ever
checked back on earlier entries.” At
AFDU Bill: “...had the opportunity
of flying many different ‘ponies’.”NORMANDY AND BEYOND
At the end of his six months ‘off
ops’, Bill returned to 222 Squadron
and on May 21, 1944, he: “...led
a flight of four Spitfires over into
France. From the disposition of
our forces in southern England, I
guessed that the invasion would
probably take place somewhere
along the Normandy beaches.
“Flying at about 100 to 200ft, I
picked up one of the railway lines
out from Paris and headed down
towards Caen. We criss-crossed this
several times looking for a train. On
nearing a bridge over a stream just to
the north of Caen, we came under
some intense low-level concentrated
anti-aircraft fire.“If you want to get blooded, just go
over with Bill, he knows where all
the flak is!”Above
Always an awe-inspiring
sight – MH434 in its
natural environment.64 FLYPAST August 2018