Spitfire BM597-317 'City of Wilno' (Polish) Squadron, RAF Woodvale 1942

Clive Denney flying the Historic Aircraft Collection's Spitfire Mk.Vb, BM597, G-MKVB, at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford during the Duxford Flying Finale 2022.
Spitfire BM597 wears the colour scheme that it would have had whilst serving with Royal Air Force (RAF) 317 'City of Wilno' (Polish) Squadron during 1942, while the squadron was mainly based at RAF Woodvale.

A combat veteran, Spitfire BM597 is one of 1000 aircraft built at Castle Bromwich against contract B981687/39 and was delivered to No.37 Maintenance Unit (MU), Burtenwood, on 26 April 1942, before being assigned to 315 'City of Dęblin' (Polish) Squadron on 7th May and then on to 317 'City of Wilno' (Polish) Squadron on 5 September 1942. Both of these squadrons were based at RAF Woodvale.

On 13th February 1943, BM597 suffered category B damage when Flying Officer Birtus lost brake pressure while taxiing and the aircraft overturned. It was sent for repair on 28th February and was ready again on 2nd June at 33 MU, RAF Lyneham. On 26th June it went to De Havilland Vickers Supermarine for fuel system, elevator and rudder modifications, wing stiffening, fitting of IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) Mark III electronic equipment and the fitting of a bomb carrier.

It went to 39 MU, RAF Colerne on 23rd November before moving to 222 MU, RAF High Ercall (a Packing Depot) on 4th January 1944 and then back to 39 MU on 14th April. It was stored at RAF Colerne for almost a year until it was issued to 58 Operational Training Unit (OTU) on 2nd April 1945, its last operational unit from which it was retired on 16th October 1945. It was then transferred to instructional airframe status as 5713M at 4 School of Technical Training at RAF St Athan.

Later BM597 was assigned as gate guardian to RAF Hednesford (1950-1955), RAF Bridgenorth (1955-1960) and RAF Church Fenton (1960-1989). On 23rd January 1967 it was sent from RAF Henlow to Pinewood film studios, where it was used as the master for the moulds that were made to cast fibre glass replica Spitfires to be used in the film 'Battle of Britain'. It remained at Pinewood Studios until August 1968 when it was returned to RAF Henlow and finally in 1969 to RAF Church Fenton.

Tim Routsis, the founder of Historic Flying, recovered the aircraft in 1989 as part of a deal with the RAF and sold it to the Historic Aircraft Collection (HAC) in 1993. Historic Flying undertook the complete restoration to original specification and BM597 flew now in the colours of 317 Squadron, although in an earlier camouflage paint scheme.

The HAC team contacted a number of Polish veterans who flew BM597 whilst in service with the RAF's Polish 315 Squadron (wearing codes PK-C) and Polish 317 Squadron (wearing codes JH-C).
Squadron Leader Ludwik Martel and Squadron Leader Tadeuz Anderz were reunited with the aircraft at the Old Hay Charity Fly-in in July 2000. Squadron Leader Franciszek Kornicki, was reunited with BM597 and sat in his former cockpit at Chailey in 2004.
Their signatures can now be found on the inside of the cockpit door.
From squadron records, other pilots who flew the aircraft were Sergeant (Sgt) Slonski, Pilot Officer (P/O) Widziszewski, P/O B. Semmerling, Flying Officer (F/O) H. Wyrozemski, Flight Sergeant (F/S) J. Adamiak, P/O S. Blok, P/O J Zbrozek, Sgt Alexsander Chudek, Flight Lieutenant (F/LT) Waleriaw Jasiowowski and F/LT W.J. Zajac. F/LT Zajac flew BM597 on several occasions including acceptance checks and tests when BM597 was assigned to 315 Squadron in May 1942.

In September 2005 Spitfire BM597 became the first Spitfire to return to the Mediterranean island of Malta since the filming of Malta Story in 1952. It flew there together with Hurricane "Z5140" as part of the Merlins Over Malta project.

On 1st July 2022 BM597 returned to its IWM Duxford base after a period of servicing and repainting by Clive Denney and the Vintage Fabrics team at Audley End Airfield. It has been fully returned to the wartime paint scheme that it had with 317 Squadron.