Operation Resurrect
Looking at this picture, you'll probably think there's no chance this crashed WW2 reconnaissance Spitfire will ever fly again but think again, because it really is going to be rebuilt with lots of care, help and donations.
The story started around 8 years ago when Tony Hoskins started researching the secretive world of reconnaissance pilots. In a world without satellites the best way of gaining valuable information to be used by the military was to take overhead photos.
At the time, it was decided to strip the weight out of planes so they could go faster and further and fly higher than ever, so out went all the machine guns and even the radio to lighten and make room for long range fuel tanks and camera equipment.
Tony spent hours contacting and researching, looking for relatives of the reconnaissance pilots and gaining valuable information that wasn't forthcoming from the Ministry of Defence (they appeared not to have stored much information on these pilots at all).
Tony even posted local newspaper adverts to track down the pilots' families and over the coming years, built up a large data base of information, even speaking to some pilots who by then were quite old. It’s believed currently there’s now only one pilot living with three sadly passing away last year.
The story now leads us to spitfire AA810 which crashed in Norway having been ambushed by two Messerschmitt 109s on its way to photograph the Tirpitz battle ship, anchored in the Fjords.
The spitfire was found buried in a peat bog up a mountain in the village of Surnadal in Norway. Local villagers helped with the recovery and also handed over parts that they had reused including the engine's starter motor to power an electric fence!
The pilot's parachute had not gone to waste as the locals had made a christening dress out of it which hangs on display in their local church.
The pilot was Scotland's Sandy Gunn, aged 22, who after bailing out of his burning spitfire and his parachute landing him safely, suffered burns to his hands and face and was captured by the local German garrison soldiers.
They drove him from Trondheim to Oslo where he was interrogated for a month without giving anything away. Finally he was sent to the prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft 111.
Now we might not have heard of this but it was made famous by Steve McQueen in the iconic film The Great Escape.
And of course the story now builds with Sandy being picked to be one of the seventy six escapees. He was the sixty eighth person to haul himself through the tunnel, named Harry, on the 24/25th March 1944.
Unfortunately Sandy was recaptured by the Gestapo and under the direct orders of Hitler, he and another forty nine men were murdered by firing squad.
This incredibly sad story of bravery by this young man, and all the other courageous reconnaissance pilots, needs to be honoured and I'm hoping that by publishing this story on www.legendsliveon.co.uk, it goes some way in helping Tony with his fund raising to complete the restoration of the plane. Its will have around 30% original parts, 20% used parts from other spitfires of that period, and 50% new engineered work. And it will be flying once completed! If you would like to contribute to the achievement of that, please feel free to make a donation via his fundraising page.
Tony has also, through his hard work and determination, arranged for a permanent display in the Churchill War Rooms museum in London to show some of the memorabilia from these pilots.
And the story doesn't end there! Opposite the museum, there’s also going to be a memorial built to honour these pilots who gave their lives so we could live in freedom.
All of this unfortunately doesn't come cheap, but I think it’s a fitting remembrance that we all have a lot to be grateful for. It would be great if you can help share Tony's story, and see what we can help achieve in raising for this good cause.
