Spitfire Mk 1. 1/32 Revell kit.

[Ian M]

A great piece there Steve.

I really want to get into mine now

Great build, great paint and a very interesting piece of history to boot.

Ian M

[tr1ckey66]

Brilliant Steve! An excellent Spitfire model with lots of detail and I love the history. The figures together with the story add poignancy to the model.

Great stuff 5*

Paul

[Gern]

Beautiful.

[flyjoe180]

Beautiful build Steve, and great history behind the scene. One well known Robert Stanford Tuck was a Flight Commander at 92 Squadron at that time and in his first combat on that same day claimed a Bf109 on that first sortie and two Bf110s on the fateful second sortie.

Gillies had a New Zealand connection too:

John Gillies was the eldest son of Sir Harold Gillies (1882–1960) a New Zealand-born, Cambridge-educated ENT surgeon widely considered to be the father of plastic surgery, which he pioneered during the First World War at the Cambridge Military Hospital, Aldershot and the Queen’s Hospital, Sidcup.

His younger cousin Sir Archibald McIndoe (1900–1960), also New Zealand-born, and for many years Gillies’ junior partner, made his name during the Second World War treating aircrew who suffered serious burns at the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead – home of the Guinea Pig Club. - See more at:

[Guest]

What I think really captures the attention is the fact that I think we tend to see our models of warplanes as icons of a glamorous time, particularly as we celebrate anniversaries of events all those years ago. Steve's piece of history reminds us very clearly that these were times of regular and almost continuous sacrifice where friends and relatives were lost daily and life was far from glamorous.

Beautiful model Steve but, even more, very thought provoking.

[Guest]

Nice clean build.

[stona]

Thanks everyone.

Richard I am really pleased to see you write that the history is thought provoking as I always hope my models and their associated histories might have exactly that effect on people. The Spitfire is a beautiful aeroplane and at the cutting edge of the technology of the time, but it was designed to kill people and many people died in them too. We should never forget.

Joe, Gillies NZ connections are absolutely typical of the composition of the RAF at this time. Many men from the 'Old Commonwealth' seem to have been attracted to the junior service, maybe its technical nature and less rigid and formalised, traditional, structure played a role in that. Roger Bushell was South African born as was Flt.Lt. Green who recovered from his wound and had an illustrious career in the RAF. He died in 1999.

Where would we have been without men like Park, Bennet, Coningham, and a host of others far too numerous to name from what used to be called 'overseas'?

Cheers

Steve

[yak face]

Steve, as always beautifully built , superbly posed and photographed ,and meticulously researched. I love your builds because theres always a depth to them , its not just a model , its an embodiment of a little piece of history . Great build in every sense , cheers tony

[Guest]

Great model and history. Sgt Klipsch's Spitfire was the one that was recovered for an episode of Time Team about ten years ago. Still able to view on Youtube.

[monica]

Beautiful build Steve,very well done,,

[colin m]

Looks great Steve. Makes me think a new Spitfire for my collection is well overdue.

[Guest]

Outstanding work, Steve........well done, mate!!!

[Guest]

Excellent build and I like the back story too.

scott