@ London, UK
September 2023
After twenty years, I made an overdue return visit to the Imperial War Museum. Here is a Spitfire Mk Ia (R6915) that served with Royal Air Force No. 609 Squadron and survivor of 57 combat missions during the Battle of Britain (10 July – 31 October 1940), flown by 13 different pilots, only 6 of whom survived the Second World War. Pilots of R6915 were credited with five aerial victories before this aircraft was transferred to an Operational Training Unit for the duration of the war. R6915 was added to the IWM collection in 1946. First flown in 1936, more than 20,300 Spitfires were delivered before production ended in 1948. 2,160 Mk 1s were built, those modified with 20mm cannon were known as the Mk. Ib hence the original Mk Is armed with eight Brownings were retrospectively called the Mk. Ia.
