PRESS RELEASE
Following winter maintenance of 2 Seat Spitfire MT818 / G-AIDN, the team at flyaspitfire.com have decided to apply a brand new livery ready for the 2025 season. (Vintage Aviation News previously covered the operation in articles HERE and HERE.) With one T9 Spitfire MJ627, carrying colors of 441 (Silver Fox) Sqn Royal Canadian Air Force and another, TE308 flying in the distinctive colors of Royal Australian Air Force 457 (Grey Nurse) Sqn it was decided that another airframe recognizing the international utilization of the Spitfire in WWII was appropriate.
MT 818 will be painted to represent ‘Lady Ellen III’ WZ-JJ MH894 as flown by Lt John Fawcett 309th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, USAAF. The Spitfires of the 309th Fighter Squadron carried the distinctive markings of a white star with a blue background, bordered in red, accompanied by distinct red stripes on the wings. 309 Sqn was deployed to the European Theater of Operations in June 1942. The squadron was re-equipped with RAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vs, and pilots trained in the British aircraft from airfields in South East England. The squadrons first combat missions were flown in August 1942, attacking enemy positions in occupied France. Assigned to the new Twelfth Air Force and deployed to Gibraltar in November 1942 as part of the Operation Torch invasion forces, it initially operated from former Vichy French airfields in Algeria. It subsequently advanced east across Algeria and Tunisia, supporting the Fifth United States Army which halted Field Marshal Rommel’s advance on allied positions. By this time the squadron had upgraded to the higher performance Spitfire Mk IX. Spitfires from the squadron provided support for the Allied invasion of Sicily and later the landings by Allied forces in mainland Italy, moving North supporting the Fifth Army during the Italian Campaign. As Allied bomber forces operating from Italy began the strategic bombing of Axis petroleum and communications facilities in central Europe and the Balkans, the squadron was re-equipped with the North American P-51 Mustang to replace the shorter-ranged Spitfire.
Lt John E Fawcett was one of the pilots who served in the 309th Fighter Squadron. Little is known about him, however he married his wife Ellen on 2nd May 1942 in Seattle, Washington, just before deploying to Europe. He named his Spitfires after his wife, his last one being Lady Ellen III. He survived the war and returned to the US, where he and Ellen raised five children.
“We’re delighted to recognize the use of the Spitfire as part of the United States Army Air Force,” Peter Monk MD of Flyaspitfire.com and The Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill) who are undertaking the maintenance and re-livery said. “Spitfires were flown by the air forces of numerous countries both in and after World War II. This addition to our Spitfire fleet honors yet another country that played a key part in WWII with operations in both Europe and North Africa. Many of our customers are from overseas and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors who have an interest in flying in a Spitfire carrying authentic WWII USAAF markings.”
Two Seat Spitfire MT818 will be available to provide passenger flights with flyaspitfire.com from April 2025.
FACT CHECK. Rommel’s advance in North Africa was halted by the British Eighth Army at El Alamein, July 1842. The breakthrough and pushback began on 4th November.
Operation Torch was a combined American/British push under Eisenhower from the west which linked up with the advancing Eighth from the east to take Tunis in May 1943. The Fifth U.S. did not “halt Rommel’s advance on Allied positions”. He was already in retreat.
Thanks Mike! As it says at the top, this is a press release from the Fly A Spitfire team. We do not fact check or endorse press release content. Your correction is now appearing here, but feel free to contact the organization directly.