1945 Supermarine Spitfire IX SL633

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History

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. IXe. The identities of this particular aircraft have included: SL633 (British Royal Air Force), DU-K and JT-10 (Free Czechoslovak Air Force), 20-42 (Israeli Air Force), and UB-425 (Myanmar Air Force which was originally formed as the “Burmese Air Force”). It was one of the last Spitfires produced via the Vickers Supermarine plant at Castle Bromwich, England.

It was delivered in June 1945 to the Royal Air Force and then assigned to No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF (originally formed at Duxford in 1940). After World War II, it was one of 54 aircraft provided to the Free Czechoslovak Air Force and was assigned to No. 2 Czech Fighter Wing and was flown as a trainer with the 4th Air Regiment with the fuselage code JT-10.

Flight Lieutenant Karel Pošta was assigned this aircraft and flew it for aerobatic demonstrations out of Planá. Pošta became a pilot with the 34th Czech Fighter Squadron in 1936. On May 12, 1939, following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, he escaped to Poland, eventually making his way to the UK and on 19 September 1940, became a member of the 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF at Duxford, flying three tours of duty in Hurricanes then Spitfires. Pošta flew a great many missions throughout the duration of the war in Europe (records indicate 281 sorties), including air defense over the British Isles, offensive sweeps over occupied France (including the Battle of Normandy), support of airborne operations in the Netherlands, bomber escort missions over Germany. In the fall of 1944, Pošta became Flight Commander with the rank of First Officer, and was ultimately awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He returned to Czechoslovakia on August 13, 1945 to great national acclaim, and, among other accomplishments, flew as a reserve officer with the 4th Aviation Regiment of the Czechoslovak Air Force with the rank of Air Force Lieutenant, and then became commander of a fighter training center at České Budějovice. During this time, he also flew this particular aircraft in air shows. In 1948, he returned to Britain for the remainder of his life (his wife was British) and flew in a few airshows including the Farnborough Airshow of 1950 in which he flew a Spitfire Mk. XVI. He died at the age 46.

Following the establishment of Israel in 1948, Czechoslovakia sent aircraft to the fledgling Israeli Air Force (IAF) and this aircraft was one of those sent. It was converted to a photo reconnaissance aircraft and assigned serial number 20-42. When Israel converted to jets in 1954, the IAF sold this aircraft to the Myanmar Air Force (Burmese Air Force), who operated it as a counter-insurgency aircraft. After a wheels-up accident, in 1984 it was on display on a pole at King Mindon’s Royal Palace in Mandalay. It was acquired by private collectors and was eventually returned to Duxford and the Imperial War Museum in 1999 for restoration by Historic Flying Limited. Historic Flight Foundation acquired it in 2007 and returned it to its 1945 specifications making its first post restoration flight with Historic Flight Foundation of WA, USA in 2010.