Supermarine Spitfire - RW388
Donated to the City of Stoke-on-Trent in 1972 in memory of its designer, Reginald Mitchell,
who was born and educated in North Staffordshire, this was a low altitude fighter with
clipped wings and powered by a Packard Merlin 266 engine.
RW388 was one of a batch of 1,500 Spitfire XVI's manufactured at Castle Bromwich in 1945,
too late to see any war service. First taken on charge by No. 6 MU at RAF Brize Norton
on July 18, 1945 a month later it was issued to No. 667 Squadron where it sustained
Category Ac damage in a flying accident. Taken to No. 411 Repair and Salvage Unit
on December 30 for repair, in 1946 it was sent to High Ercall for storage before returning
to RAF Brize Norton on January 12, 1949. By 1951, RW388 had been allocated to
No. 612 Squadron where it remained for 6 months before going to the Fighter Command Control
and Reporting School. Receiving a Category 3R damage this was its last flight before
it was used as a display aircraft, a gate guardian at RAF Benson and RAF Andover
finishing up as a showpiece at the Royal Tournament and Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
In 1972 the Spitfire was presented to the City of Stoke-on-Trent by Air Chief Marshall
Sir Neil Wheeler where it was originally housed under a glass structure before moving
the city museum.