Spitfire Mk XVI TE311, a distinguished member of the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025. The aircraft was officially taken on charge by the Air Ministry on June 8, 1945, just one month after the end of the Second World War in Europe.
Constructed at the Castle Bromwich shadow factory, TE311 was a low-back, clipped-wing L.F.XVIe variant powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin 266. Initially delivered to No. 39 Maintenance Unit at Colerne on 16 June 1945, it spent much of its early life in storage. It was briefly assigned to the Empire Central Flying School’s Handling Squadron in October 1945 but saw minimal flying, accumulating only around 30 hours before being declared non-effective in December 1954.
For decades, TE311 remained grounded—serving as a gate guardian at RAF Tangmere and RAF Benson for over 12 years and later as a static display with the RAF Exhibition Flight for 27 years. In 2000, the aircraft was assigned to the BBMF, originally as a source of spare parts. However, a decision was made in 2002 to fully restore the aircraft to flight, with the project led by Chief Technician Paul Blackah MBE. Following a meticulous 10-year rebuild and fitted with a Packard-built Merlin 266, TE311 returned to the skies in October 2012—its first flight in 58 years.
Now an active member of the BBMF fleet, TE311 is currently painted to represent Spitfire Mk XVI TD322 of No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron, which flew ground-attack missions during the final stages of WWII. The aircraft features the squadron’s “3W-M” codes and distinctive nose art of “Polly Grey,” an African grey parrot mascot. In a more recent and poignant addition, TE311 now carries the starboard code letters “L-NG”—a tribute to Squadron Leader Mark Long, who tragically lost his life in the crash of BBMF Spitfire MK356 on 25 May 2024. Historically, this code combination also aligns with 604 Squadron RAuxAF, which flew clipped-wing Mk XVIs bearing the ‘NG’ code in the late 1940s.
With TE311 joining the rest of the BBMF fleet in reaching octogenarian status, the aircraft remains a flying symbol of British engineering and wartime history—watch for its unique clipped-wing silhouette on the 2025 airshow circuit. For more information about the RAF Memorial Flight Official Club, visit www.memorialflightclub.com.
