Northamptonshire based Spitfire gets D-Day stripes restored for 80th Anniversary

The first aircraft to score a victory over the D-Day beaches was Supermarine Spitfire, ML407, known as The Grace Spitfire. It is a fighter that went on to fly 176 operational combat sorties, totalling 319 combat flying hours during World War Two.

This legendary combat veteran was built in early 1944 at the Castle Bromwich production facility as a single seat Mk IX variant of R. J. Mitchell’s inspirational elliptical wing design fighter. Initially allocated to 485 (New Zealand) Squadron The Grace Spitfire was delivered to its squadron by famed Air Transport Auxiliary pilot, Jackie Moggridge on April 29, 1944.

The Grace Spitfire was allocated to, Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton and painted with the squadron codes OU and ‘V’ for Vicky, who in 1943 was Johnnie’s girlfriend and latterly his wife. In the days before D-Day operations, the Spitfire was painted with black & white stripes across the top and bottom of the inner wings and around the rear fuselage. These became known as D-Day stripes, and the purpose was to easily identify friendly aircraft in the skies above Normandy.

As D-Day operations started on June 6th, 1944, 485 (New Zealand) Squadron was required to carry out patrols over the coast, with the first being at first light. Johnnie and ML407 with her newly applied stripes, were to the south of one of the American beaches, when he spotted a Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 88 bomber diving away from him. He took chase in his Spitfire, putting a burst of fire into the bomber’s starboard engine, crippling the German aircraft, forcing the crew to bale out. The bomber crashed into the sea, and Johnnie had registered the first victory over the Luftwaffe during D-Day.

Johnnie and The Grace Spitfire survived the war and in 1950, the aircraft was selected by Vickers Armstrong as one of a small number of Spitfires to be converted into a two-seat trainer for the Irish Air Corps. The veteran remained with the IAC until 1968, when it was sold into private hands and moved to The Strathallan Collection in Scotland.

It remained there until 1979, when the dismantled aircraft was along with another Spitfire, purchased by Nick Grace. Nick and his small team rebuilt The Grace Spitfire to flying condition and with his wife Carolyn in the rear seat, ML407 returned to the air with Nick piloting the aircraft on April 16, 1985.

In 1988, Nick was tragically killed in a car accident, and his Wife Carolyn was determined to keep The Grace Spitfire flying as a family concern. Her children, Olivia and Richard were young at the time, but Carolyn learnt to fly and went on to fly and display the Spitfire herself.

The Grace Spitfire and has become well-known as possibly one of the most historic and original two-seat examples still flying with such a significant combat history. The fact that you can book a flight as a passenger in this historic aircraft is truly incredible. Carolyn’s son Richard is the director of Sywell Aerodrome based, Air Leasing Limited who under the name of Ultimate Warbird Flights, operate the two-seater D-Day Spitfire alongside an American P-51 Mustang for passenger rides.

Carolyn Grace tragically lost her life in a car accident in December 2022, but ML407 under the management of the Grace family, remains flying as a testament to both her and Nick.

2024 sees the 90th anniversary of D-Day operations, and it was decided that it would be appropriate to reinstate ML407’s stripes for the commemorations. In the last few weeks, The Grace Spitfire has been transformed into the look she wore on 6th June 1944, and following a few post winter test flights, the Spitfire was taken above the clouds for a special photography sortie on 2nd April, with UK based specialist aviation photographer, Darren Harbar.

The D-Day combat veteran Spitfire is based at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire, and she will be one of the stars of the show for an airshow weekend that is being organised by Ultimate Warbird Flights and Sywell Aerodrome on the 22nd and 23rd June. Sywell 2024, will include many other World War Two aircraft, including acts from across Europe, and the famous Red Arrows (Sunday only). Visit www.sywell2024.co.uk to find out more and get tickets to see the D-Day veteran Grace Spitfire ML407 displaying her newly re-applied stripes.

For more information, contact Ultimate Warbird Flights at warbirdflights.co.uk 01604 344553