swindonweb®  home    make this my homepage
myswindonweb   LOGIN / REGISTER  

The Swindon Spitfire Story 

How Swindon played its part in building an aircraft legend
 
Part of Swindon's history:
the Supermarine Spitfire
It's a sight and sound that's unmistakeable.

And in no small way, Swindon played its part in making the Spitfire the nation's most famous aircraft.
 
Now 75 years still it first flew, the fighter plane's memory still lives on here through the Supermarine Sports Club that bears the name of the company that manufactured the aircraft in Swindon from 1941-44.
 
Originally built in Southampton, production moved to a shadow Supermarine factory at South Marston after bombing destroyed their main south coast facility in 1940.
 
There the planes were constructed and tested on the nearby runway (now the Honda test track) before being flown to bases in the UK and all over the world.
 
In all 121 Mark 21 Spitfires were built here, with a further 50 modified Spitfires bound for naval action (which the Royal Navy called Seafires) also produced.
 
On 7 December 1941, a Spitfire on a training mission crashed in Stratton St.Margaret killing the pilot.
 
War effort:
Spitfire production was spilt between Castle Bromwich
(pic. above) and Swindon after Supermarine in Southampton
was bombed in 1940

Production of later versions also continued after the war, before South Marston's last Spitfire (actually a Seafire) was completed in January 1949.
 
In October 1945, Vickers bought the factory and airfield (it cost them £500,000) and the factory's new roles included the modification of planes which had survived the war into trainers.
 
Spitfires also continued to fly out of South Marston after repairs and modifications, with most of these ending up in foreign air forces.
 
Walrus and Sea Otter amphibians were also refurbished - the former destined to fly the colours of the Netherlands and Argentinian air forces, and the latter for civil duties.

Now gone:
the Vickers Armstrong building circa. 1950
Very little is left of the South Marston factory that played such a key role in the war effort. Much of the site has now been developed as an industrial estate and part of the extensive Honda plant.
 
From 1950 until the mid 70s, a Supermarine Spitfire sat at the entrance to the Vickers factory as a proud memorial to the part played by the firm in the aircraft's history.
 
As previously mentioned, the sport's club once part of Vickers still retains the name.
 
In 2002, Business Space Services arranged for a Spitfire flyover to celebrate the opening of their new serviced office facility in what was the main building of the Vickers site.
RELATED CONTENT
Remembrance Events 2018
Remembrance Events 2018 Where and when in Swindon you can pay tribute this year...
More
The Dambusters 80
The Dambusters 80 Swindon's connection to the genius of Barnes Wallis & the Bouncing Bomb....
More09 May 2018
Lydiard Park Field of Remembrance
Lydiard Park Field of Remembrance Open from 27 October to Sunday, 27 November 2022...
More
Remembering Two Of Our Brightest Starrs
Remembering Two Of Our Brightest Starrs Swindon Heritage launches crowd funding campaign to remember two of Swindon's fallen heroes...
More15 June 2016
Harold Would Have Been Proud
Harold Would Have Been Proud Swindon pays tribute to its very own Battle of Britain hero and 'The Few' - WATCH VIDEO
More
Swindon's Tribute To The Few
Swindon's Tribute To The Few Royalty to be guest of honour at special Swindon Battle of Britain flypast on 15 September - WATCH VIDEO
More19 August 2015
70 Years On
70 Years On Crowds gather in Swindon to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day - SEE PICTURES
More17 August 2015
Swindon Armed Forces Day
Swindon Armed Forces Day Early details announced for this year's celebration of our nation's armed forces...
More
The Christmas Truce
The Christmas Truce You've probably seen the advert - but Captain Mervyn Richardson from Purton was really there...
More15 November 2014
A Beautiful Day..... To Remember.
A Beautiful Day..... To Remember. Thousands gather in the sunshine in Swindon town centre for Remembrance Sunday - GALLERY
More09 November 2014
Poppy Appeal Fundraising In Swindon Town Centre
Poppy Appeal Fundraising In Swindon Town Centre Hundreds raised as volunteers make special effort - PICTURES
More01 November 2014
Great War Britain: Swindon
Great War Britain: Swindon 1914-18 remembered in new book launched today - WE'VE A COPY TO GIVEAWAY
More04 August 2014
Swindon Wartime Weekend
Swindon Wartime Weekend Step back in time to the Second World War at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway - 13 & 14 SEPT
More
Marking The Start Of WW1
Marking The Start Of WW1 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Schoolchildren gather in Wharf Green before 28 June - the day that sparked the Great War...
More26 June 2014
D-DAY
D-DAY 80th ANNIVERSARY: Watch our films showing how Swindon played its part on the 6th June 1944 - WATCH VIDEOS
More
Armed Forces Day Swindon 2014
Armed Forces Day Swindon 2014 Full FREE day of entertainment in Faringdon Park showing support for the Armed Forces - 28 JUNE
More
Bravery Recognised
Bravery Recognised Proud evening as Swindon soldiers are awarded Operational Service Medals for Afganistan Tour - WATCH VIDEO
More12 March 2014
Restored For Everlasting Remembrance
Restored For Everlasting Remembrance Hundreds gather at Highworth war memorial for Remembrance Sunday - PICTURES
More10 November 2013
Field of Remembrance
Field of Remembrance Lydiard Park hosts the Royal British Legion's tribute to our brave Serviceman & women - 08-17 NOV
More
Radnor Street Remembrance
Radnor Street Remembrance Swindon honours its war graves at much-neglected cemetry - GALLERY + PICS FROM OTHER REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONIES
More11 November 2012
Strictly Poppies
Strictly Poppies Come Dancing stars perform at the opening of Remembrance Field at Lydiard Park - GALLERY
More09 November 2012
Swindon's sporting heyday?
Swindon's sporting heyday? With news of Supermarine expanding & houses on the former BR Ground, we look back at the golden age of Swindon's big work-related sports clubs...
More
Swindon's Lost Soldier
Swindon's Lost Soldier Can you help identify one of Swindon's fallen WW1 heroes?..
More02 November 2011
Swindon Bombing
Swindon Bombing 70 years ago - 20 OCT 1940 - the day the Luftwaffe tragically started targeting Swindon...
More
Catsbrain Farm
Catsbrain Farm Bombs, bikes and bi-planes - memories of Eric Barnes, possibly Swindon's last owner-farmer...
More02 October 2010
Mecca Bingo to be turned in to live music venue
Mecca Bingo to be turned in to live music venue New live music venue all set to open...
More16 September 2010
Swindon's War-Time Weekend
Swindon's War-Time Weekend Visitors step back in time to the austerity years of the Second World War...
More15 September 2010
St. Margaret's Garage
St. Margaret's Garage Memories of Morris Minors and MOTS - a 'village' garage since 1936...
More
Churchill's Secret Army - REVEALED
Churchill's Secret Army - REVEALED Open day celebrates 70 years anniversary of the Auxiliary Unit at Coleshill - THIS SATURDAY
More28 June 2010
Remembrance Sunday Service at STEAM
Remembrance Sunday Service at STEAM Remember the fallen this Sunday...
More04 November 2009
Vickers in Skirts
Vickers in Skirts Swindon's role in the history of the hovercraft - first launched 50 years ago today...
More11 June 2009
Swindon on D-Day
Swindon on D-Day D-Day: Swindon wakes up to the sound of history in the making...
More
The Yanks are Coming!...
The Yanks are Coming!... Beer, Bicycles & Blackouts - Memories of the staff from the US Army's 203rd General Hospital reveal life in Swindon in the run-up to D-Day...
More
Alan Fowler
Alan Fowler The true and tragic story of Swindon Town's Normandy hero revealed...
More05 June 2009
Flying high price to pay
Flying high price to pay Restored Swindon-built Spitfire fetches £1.6 million at auction...
More21 April 2009
Chiseldon Camp
Chiseldon Camp 50 years on since the last soldiers left, we look back at the Swindon army base which helped win two world wars - and welcomed the first American GIs to Britain...
More
The History of Swindon
The History of Swindon A journey back through Swindon's proud history...
More
Life's Real Heroes
Life's Real Heroes 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY: We pay tribute to Swindon's heroes of the Somme + EVENTS
More
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Planes, Trains & Automobiles How Swindon helped pioneer some of the most incredible aircraft ever built incl. Spitfires, Swifts & Concorde...
More
Swindon and World War One
Swindon and World War One Lest We Forget 105 Years On: our 4-part chronicle of the role Swindon people played in the Great War #therebutnotthere
More
RAF Blakehill
RAF Blakehill Cricklade airfield which played a crucial role in D-Day and Arnhem - WATCH VIDEO
More
VE Day in Swindon
VE Day in Swindon The greatest e-VE-r party. How Swindon celebrated the end of WW2 in Europe #VEDAY75
More
RELATED CATEGORIES
  Remembrance  
  South Marston  
myswindonweb
The Burj
Deacons
Barnes Coaches Advert
Chelworth Windows and Conservatories, Swindon, Wiltshire
Toomers