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A Spitfire’s Story (Hardback)

The Invisible Thread: Spitfire R6644 and the Pilots Who Flew It

Aviation > Aircraft > Spitfires & Hurricanes Aviation > Aviation Biography & Memoirs Aviation > Pilots Aviation > Reference Aviation > Royal Air Force Aviation > WWII WWII > Biography & Memoirs World History

By Dilip Sarkar MBE FRHistS FRAeS
Imprint: Air World
Pages: 328
Illustrations: 100 mono illustrations
ISBN: 9781036138523
Published: 31st October 2025

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Public affection for the iconic Spitfire endures; indeed, if anything, it increases as more of these incredible aircraft are restored to airworthy condition. The Spitfire story, however, is one of people, designers, engineers, pilots, groundcrew, and more, whose lives were touched in some way by this extraordinary machine – and such stories are the inspiration for this book.

Spitfire Mk.IA R6644 was built by Supermarine at Woolston, and test-flown by the famous test pilot Jeffrey Quill on 30 May 1940. Thereafter, the aircraft was taken on charge by 5 Operational Training Unit at Aston Down. While there, it was flown by a number of The Few, new replacement pilots converting to type.

It is likely, for example, that R6644 was flown by Pilot Officer Richard Hillary, who, shot down and badly burned, became a member of the Guinea Pig Club. In his classic memoir The Last Enemy, Hillary described how 5 OTU’s young pilots would fly beneath the arches of the great railway bridge spanning the Severn estuary. This inspired the famous scene in the 1980s TV series Piece of Cake, when Ray Hanna flew Spitfire MH434 beneath a bridge for the cameras. Amongst the other pilots known to have flown R6644 at Aston Down are at least two aces.

On 26 February 1941, R6644 was handed on to 65 Squadron. One of the latter’s pilots who flew in R6644 was the great ace Flying Officer Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane DFC. In April, R6644 was taken on charge by the recently formed 308 (Polish) Squadron. On 11 May 1941, Pilot Officer Franciszek Surma was flying R6644 to investigate an unidentified radar plot, which transpired to be a friendly Blenheim, but was forced to abandon the Spitfire near Malvern, Worcestershire, owing to an engine fire. Surma, again one of The Few, descended safely by parachute; he was reported missing off Dunkirk during Circus 110 on 8 November 1941.

This book not only explores the men who flew R6674 throughout its wartime service, but also brings the story up to date by detailing the excavation of the Spitfire’s crash site in 1987.

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 Dilip Sarkar MBE FRHistS FRAeS

About Dilip Sarkar MBE FRHistS FRAeS

DILIP SARKAR is a prolific author and historian, with over 60 books to his name, and is an internationally recognised authority on the Battle of Britain; he is author of the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust and National Memorial to The Few’s eight volume, one-million-word, official history of the Battle of Britain, a unique project endorsed by, amongst others, The Princess Royal and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton. Having enjoyed a uniquely personal relationship with many of The Few, Dilip is a much sought after and engaging speaker, who has spoken and exhibited internationally in addition to working on numerous television and film projects, both on and off camera. Made an MBE for services to aviation history in 2003, he was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society, and to the Fellowship of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2024, and is Honorary Vice-President of The Battle of Britain Memorial Trust CIO. For further information please see www.dilipsarkarmbe.com.

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