Spitfire NH523

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by: Johan Brookes History from Imperial War Museum Duxford Cambridge 2019-06-28 14:17:28

Spitfire NH523 was a MK IX aircraft built at Castle Bromwich in early 1944. It first entered RAF service with the 33rd Maintenance Unit on the 31st May 1944 and subsequently attached to the 132nd Squadron, based at English town of Ford in Sussex. Following the 132nd Squadron supporting role during the ‘D-day’ invasion of France, they were moved on the 25th June 1944 to Amblie in Normandy France to support in invasion of Europe.

Spitfire NH523 was shot up in a dogfight with a Focke Wolf 190 on the 2nd July 1944 and crash-landed on it’s return to the Amblie airdrome.

Spitfire NH523 was sent back to England for repairs at Hamble in Southampton. It was delivered back to the 33rd Maintenance Unit based at Lynham in Wiltshire on the 26th December 1944.

The last flight of Spitfire NH523 was on the 20th January 1945 when an AIA ferry pilot flew into a snowstorm at 1500 ft over Stonton Wood in Leicestershire. The pilot was forced to abandon the aircraft and Spitfire NH523 crashed at 2:45pm and was totally destroyed.

reply

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reply: Donald Robertson Authenticity Certificate 2021-04-28 13:36:25

Hi wos wondering if you would be able to help me find out why
The Certification doesn't match the plate on my Spitfire Rocker arm
On the Certificate it says its from Spitfire NH523 but on the brass plate
Attached to the Plinth it reads
Rolls Royce Merlin 45
Rocker Arm
From Spitfire VB BL 236
Nothing to tie it into the Spitfire NH523
was wondering if you could help me
This was bought from Duxford Air Museum
Way back in the 1990s