Spitfire IXc (MH434)

Arguably the most famous Spitfire in the world, MH434 has been maintained in airworthy condition ever since it came off the production line at Castle Bromwich in August 1943. The fighter spent its entire frontline career in the RAF flying with the Hornchurch Wing - primarily with No 222 ‘Natal’ Sqn as well as Nos 349 and 350 “Belgian” Sqns. MH434 was delivered to the Essex fighter station on 19 August 1943, and it was immediately ‘acquired’ by Malta Hurricane ace Fit Lt ‘Pat’ Lardner-Burke DFC. The South African soon added to his tally, downing an Fw 190 and damaging a second whilst on a Ramrod escort with USAAF B-17s over St Omer on 27 August. A second Fw 190 kill was achieved over Nieuport nine days later, and his (and MH434’s) final claim was logged on 8 September when he shared in the destruction of a Bf 109G over northern France.

By mid-1944 MH434’s brief frontline career was all but over, and it was duly placed in storage with No 9 MU at Cosford in March 1945, before transferring to No 76 MU at Wroughton for disposal. MH434 beat the scrapman’s blow-torch, however, when it was sold to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNAF) in early 1947. Shipped straight from Tilbury to Batavia, in the Dutch East Indies, the fighter saw further action with the RNAF’s No 322 Sqn against Nationalist forces struggling for independence - a total of 165 sorties were flown by MH434 in-theatre. Following a belly landing in 1949, the aircraft was returned to Holland, refurbished by Fokker, and sold to the Belgian Air Force.

After service with the Ecole Pilotage Avance and No 13 Wing, the Spitfire was sold into civilian hands in March 1956 for use as a target tug. MH434 remained in this role, flying from Ostend, until 1963, when it was bought by Tim Davies and flown back to Britain. Based at Elstree for several years, the aircraft was acquired by Spitfire Productions Ltd for the filming of the "Battle of Britain" in November 1967 (this was not the fighter’s screen debut, however, as it had made a cameo appearance in MGM’s "Operation Crossbow" in 1965), after which it was sold to Adrian Swire. In April 1983 MH434 was acquired at the famous Christie’s auction at Duxford by Ray Hanna’s Nalfire Aviation Ltd consortium, and it has remained in his hands ever since as part of The Old Flying Machine Company fleet.