History of the Suffolk Spitfire RW382

Spitfire RW382 was manufactured as a ‘low-back’ Mk.XVI by the Castle Bromwich Aeroplane Factory, located near Birmingham, UK. The Mk.XVI is essentially identical to a Mk.IX Spitfire, but powered by an American built Packard Merlin 266, rather than a Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 as fitted to the Mk.IX. Manufactured too late to see action in WWII she was delivered to No 6 Maintenance Unit at Brize Norton on July 20th, 1945.

Photo from the Charles Edward Taylor Collection

Later that year, she joined No 3 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit at Exeter and following that assignment she was transferred to the Control and Reporting School at Middle Wallop on the 17^th October 1950.

With her active flying days in the RAF over and following a year in store RW382 was allocated to No.609 squadron at Church Fenton as instructional airframe 7245M (although she was painted as M7245 at some time).

On 28^th November 1955 she was transferred to gate guardian duties at Leconfield as RW729.

Shortly afterwards, on 19^th May 1970, she was taken to No.5 MU Kemble for refurbishment, returning to Leconfield on 6^th July in a dubious green/dark earth camouflage scheme complete with 1940-style roundels. This scheme she retained when taken by road on 4^th April 1973 to Uxbridge where she was once again mounted on a display pole adjacent to the main gate where she remained until 1988.

Following a two-year restoration with Historic Flying Ltd at Audley End, she made her first post-restoration test flight on July 3, 1991, registered as G-XVIA.

In June 1998, the aircraft was involved in a fatal crash in Blue Canyon, California.

The Spitfire was being flown from Chico, California (after taking part in the Carson Valley Airshow) back to its base at Minden-Tahoe, Nevada by 37 year old ex.RCAF pilot Thomas Jackson, nephew of owner Bernie Jackson.

The pilot obtained a preflight weather briefing for a VFR flight across the mountains and stated he would be 30 minutes en route at 1500 feet above ground level. According to witnesses parts of the mountainous terrain were obscured in clouds and fog.

The aeroplane hit the wall of the Blue River Canyon when, according to a spokesman from the Nevada Sheriffs Department, the pilot apparently attempted to turn back up the valley. The Civil Air Patrol picked up a signal from an emergency distress beacon on June 4th and a Californian Highway Patrol helicopter located the wreck of the aircraft later that same afternoon.

Sent to Biggin Hill for restoration by Peter Monk’s Spitfire Company Ltd in 2011.

As part of this most recent restoration project, RW382 was converted from a low-back Mk XVIe to high-back Mk IX configuration complete with Rolls Royce Merlin, full wing tips and earlier rounded tail.

In September 2020 RW382, by now owned personally by Peter Monk, was repainted in the markings of the Mk.IXc‘Porky II’, which was assigned to the USAAF 309th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, stationed in the Mediterranean Theatre in 1943 and flown by Lt. Robert Connor.