- Spitfire 90 Thursday 5th March
- Today marks the 90th Anniversary of the maiden flight of K5054,
- SPITFIRE 90 – Thursday 5th March 2026, Event 1
- SPITFIRE 90 – Thursday 5th March 2026, Event 2
- SPITFIRE 90 – Thursday 5th March 2026, Event 3
Posted on Facebook by Alan Matlock – 2nd March 2026
Spitfire 90 Thursday 5th March
Vernon Pearce has got in touch about the radio show he hosts, which this week is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the first flight of K5054.
His father, Philip, was an 18-year-old apprentice working on the Spitfires at the Supermarine factory in Woolston when it was bombed in September 1940.
Vernon has written…
“Journey back in time with me to listen to a special edition of the radio series ‘Music of the War Years’ commemorating the 90th anniversary of the first flight of the Spitfire.
I’ll be playing songs by such greats of the 1940s as Vera Lynn and the Ink Spots and the big band sounds of Glenn Miller and Woody Herman, plus telling the story of my father’s narrow escape from death during a daylight bombing raid on the Supermarine factory in Southampton.”
(Follow this link to read about the day Philip nearly died – twice!)
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/…/16605189.heritage-story…/
The programme will be broadcast on HRB on Thursday at 5’oclock but you can listen online at any time at –
https://soundcloud.com/…/music-of-the-war-years…
(We are involved with other invitation-only events for Thursday, but arrangements are ‘under wraps’ for now. We’ll share when we can.)
Image owner unknown
Posted on Facebook by Alan Matlock – 5th March 2026
Today marks the 90th Anniversary of the maiden flight of K5054,
The prototype Type 300, known to those working on it simply as “The Fighter” it would soon be assigned the name that has become legendary “Spitfire”.
Looking forward to helping unveil The Spitfire Makers latest Blue Plaque, at Southampton Airport, where it all began.
Image courtesy of The Supermariners
Posted on Facebook by Alan Matlock – 15th March 2026
SPITFIRE 90 – Thursday 5th March 2026, Event 1
Two commemorative plaques, amazing artwork and two Spitfires at Southampton Airport to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Supermarine’s most iconic aircraft on March 5th.
We were approached, just a few short months ago by Michael Glen, the AGS Airports Group Head of Airspace, based at Southampton Airport, to see if we had any plans to mark the day and, with some fantastic support and collaboration from many others, plans gathered momentum, culminating in one of the most special days for Spitfire Makers since we were founded as a Charitable Trust, fittingly on 5th March, six years ago!
The two plaques were installed in the Terminal Building, opposite the WH Smith shop. We invited Dave Key, the historian behind The Supermariners website, to speak about the history of the aircraft and the first flight, before the simultaneous unveiling of two plaques. The Spitfire Makers one was sponsored and fittingly unveiled by Robert and David Stidworthy.
J Willgoose Esq, founder of the critically acclaimed band Public Service Broadcasting, unveiled the World Origin Site plaque. His connection to the Spitfire is rooted in the band’s celebrated track “Spitfire”, which pays tribute to the aircraft and features archival audio taken from the 1942 film “The First of the Few”, telling the story of Spitfire designer R.J. Mitchell.
Willgoose commented, “I’m delighted to be asked to be part of a key celebration of this most wonderful, historic piece of engineering. We all owe a great debt in this country to the Spitfire, its creator and manufacturers, but my band especially so; if ever a group truly stood on the shoulders of giants, it’s us. Being here to pay tribute to those giants is a privilege.”
Martin Wilkie, founder of World Origin Site, who also produced the artwork either side of the plaques, said, “Now the team at Southampton Airport, the staff and passengers alike can be proud to know that they are at this very significant World Origin Site.”
Alan Matlock, Chair of the Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust, added, “This plaque is the latest in more than 20 we have placed so far in and around Southampton, each one marking a place where Spitfires were being made.”
He added, “Today, we are delighted to have family members of some of the original Spitfire Makers join us to honour those who worked, later under the threat of enemy attack, to turn the design into reality.”
After the unveilings the guests were able to view the spitfires.com two seater aircraft that has been repainted in tribute to the original K5054 prototype. It will go on a 90th anniversary flight around the UK beginning in April, visiting nine WWII RAF bases, starting and finishing at Southampton.
It turns out the pilot, Matt Jones, went to the same school in Exeter as Alan Matlock!
From the apron, and under blue skies, we were also able to watch the privately-owned Spitfire based at Biggin Hill, land and taxi up to join us. The pilot, Mark Bennett, was delighted to bring his aircraft to join the party.
As well as local dignitaries, Spitfire Makers, in conjunction with The Supermariners, had invited relatives of those directly involved with the production of the aircraft. Grandchildren of RJ Mitchell’s design team, and relatives of some of the factory workers were there to witness what their forbears had worked so hard to conceive and create.
An extra-special guest was 101 year old Bill Wallington, whose wartime RAF service had been in air traffic control at the airport.
All present, including the plane spotters on ‘the mound’ were thrilled at the sight and sound of two Spitfires together at the airport where more than 4,000 were assembled, tested and flown to the RAF, before, during and after WWII.
Event 2 of the day was straight afterwards, with the National Spitfire Project’s gathering at the Voco Hotel and Mayflower Park. News of that will follow…
Images courtesy of World Origin Site and The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust
Posted on Facebook by Alan Matlock – 16th March 2026
SPITFIRE 90 – Thursday 5th March 2026, Event 2
The National Spitfire Project have posted in more detail about the event they held at the VOCO Hotel and in Mayflower Park around midday on the 5th March.
It seems that construction of the Memorial is getting ever closer, and a World Origin Site plaque and information board was unveiled at what will be the centre of the sculpture.
Visitors to Mayflower Park can now scan a QR code on their mobile phone to see what the monument will look like in situ.
John Hannides, chair of the Project, was the master of ceremonies, and the Southampton University Air Squadron formed a guard of honour.
Cllr James Baillie, the Lord Mayor of Southampton, with Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, performed a ‘ground-breaking’ ceremony and the Spitfire from Biggin Hill, privately-owned and piloted by Mark Bennett, flew overhead, having stepped in at the last minute for the planned appearance by the BBMF Spitfire that had been unable to attend, due to a maintenance issue.
News of Event 3 in the afternoon of a very special day for Southampton will follow…
Images courtesy of the National Spitfire Project
Two commemorative plaques, amazing artwork and two Spitfires at Southampton Airport to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Supermarine’s most iconic aircraft on March 5th.
We were approached, just a few short months ago by Michael Glen, the AGS Airports Group Head of Airspace, based at Southampton Airport, to see if we had any plans to mark the day and, with some fantastic support and collaboration from many others, plans gathered momentum, culminating in one of the most special days for Spitfire Makers since we were founded as a Charitable Trust, fittingly on 5th March, six years ago!
The two plaques were installed in the Terminal Building, opposite the WH Smith shop. We invited Dave Key, the historian behind The Supermariners website, to speak about the history of the aircraft and the first flight, before the simultaneous unveiling of two plaques. The Spitfire Makers one was sponsored and fittingly unveiled by Robert and David Stidworthy.
J Willgoose Esq, founder of the critically acclaimed band Public Service Broadcasting, unveiled the World Origin Site plaque. His connection to the Spitfire is rooted in the band’s celebrated track “Spitfire”, which pays tribute to the aircraft and features archival audio taken from the 1942 film “The First of the Few”, telling the story of Spitfire designer R.J. Mitchell.
Willgoose commented, “I’m delighted to be asked to be part of a key celebration of this most wonderful, historic piece of engineering. We all owe a great debt in this country to the Spitfire, its creator and manufacturers, but my band especially so; if ever a group truly stood on the shoulders of giants, it’s us. Being here to pay tribute to those giants is a privilege.”
Martin Wilkie, founder of World Origin Site, who also produced the artwork either side of the plaques, said, “Now the team at Southampton Airport, the staff and passengers alike can be proud to know that they are at this very significant World Origin Site.”
Alan Matlock, Chair of the Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust, added, “This plaque is the latest in more than 20 we have placed so far in and around Southampton, each one marking a place where Spitfires were being made.”
He added, “Today, we are delighted to have family members of some of the original Spitfire Makers join us to honour those who worked, later under the threat of enemy attack, to turn the design into reality.”
After the unveilings the guests were able to view the spitfires.com two seater aircraft that has been repainted in tribute to the original K5054 prototype. It will go on a 90th anniversary flight around the UK beginning in April, visiting nine WWII RAF bases, starting and finishing at Southampton.
It turns out the pilot, Matt Jones, went to the same school in Exeter as Alan Matlock!
From the apron, and under blue skies, we were also able to watch the privately-owned Spitfire based at Biggin Hill, land and taxi up to join us. The pilot, Mark Bennett, was delighted to bring his aircraft to join the party.
As well as local dignitaries, Spitfire Makers, in conjunction with The Supermariners, had invited relatives of those directly involved with the production of the aircraft. Grandchildren of RJ Mitchell’s design team, and relatives of some of the factory workers were there to witness what their forbears had worked so hard to conceive and create.
An extra-special guest was 101 year old Bill Wallington, whose wartime RAF service had been in air traffic control at the airport.
All present, including the plane spotters on ‘the mound’ were thrilled at the sight and sound of two Spitfires together at the airport where more than 4,000 were assembled, tested and flown to the RAF, before, during and after WWII.
Event 2 of the day was straight afterwards, with the National Spitfire Project’s gathering at the Voco Hotel and Mayflower Park. News of that will follow…
Posted on Facebook by Alan Matlock – 18th March 2026
SPITFIRE 90 – Thursday 5th March 2026, Event 3
When, in the autumn of 2025, Landau Marine moved into the former City College, Marine Skills buildings on the banks of the Itchen in Woolston, they weren’t aware of the location’s Supermarine heritage. Six months and a major refurbishment of the site later, they held an Open Day to launch their new premises and to highlight the legacy of what they had taken over.
During the afternoon, around 150 invited guests were shown around the renovated property. They listened to live 1940s entertainment from Lady Scarlett Spitfire and a series of four short talks on the history of the site, by Dave Key of The Supermariners website and Alan Matlock, Chair of the Spitfire Makers.
David Irwin of the Historic Aero Engines Team brought his Merlin engine and fired it up several times during the course of the afternoon. Scarves and long hair were blown in the slipstream!
Mark Cole is a modern-day Spitfire Maker in Southampton, and he brought examples of his genuine Spitfire parts, all produced in his workshop just upstream from Woolston.
Several guests from the earlier events made the trip across the river to join us, and it was a delight to have family members of Spitfire Makers stand where their forbears had conceived and created the legendary aircraft.
The afternoon culminated in the flypast of not one, but two Spitfires, honouring the many who had worked in the factory, to enable the Few to win the Battle of Britain.
It is worth noting that during the first weeks and months of the Battle of Britain, the only Spitfires that had been delivered to the RAF were the ones made on this site, in Southampton.
Late in 2025, when they were in the process of acquiring their new premises, Landau were alerted to the significance of it by the Spitfire Makers plaque at the Hazel Road entrance. They contacted us to find out more and now, to ensure that no one remains uninformed they have renamed the place, Supermarine Quay and included a large image of a Spitfire as their new logo.
More than that, they have incorporated numerous references to the company that made the Spitfire in the design of the building. Rooms and workshops have been named after Supermarine workers.
Going through the Landau front door you enter the Roy Staples Reception. His family contacted us some time ago to tell us about Roy’s work for Supermarine, and wondering if we could suggest somewhere for his toolbox to be put on display. It now has pride of place in the reception area that bears his name.
The RJ Mitchell Office and the Noel Pemberton Billing Conference Room are two more of the labelled rooms. Only a few weeks ago we were put in touch with Jason Pemberton Billing, the grandson of Noel, the founder of the company with Hubert Scott-Paine, and he came to the Open Day, bringing two of his grandfather’s inventions – see the photos below. Landau have honoured Spitfire Makers, from the boardroom to the shop floor, with named rooms; our honorary presidents are remembered with the Don Smith and Margaret White Offices, and the kitchen is named after Betty Stephens who worked in the Supermarine Canteen.
Perhaps best of all for the Spitfire Makers project team, the Grade II-listed slipway is to be known as The Ted Angel Slipway. Every day, through his years as an apprentice and full-time Supermarine fitter, Ted, the grandfather of team member Sarah, used to take his paper bag of sandwiches and sit on the slipway to eat his lunch. We have heard of other workers who did the same, and we wish Landau every success with their application to repair the Ted Angel Slipway and bring it back into daily use.
In 1913, Noel Pemberton Billing and Hubert Scott-Paine bought a boat building yard in what was then Elm Road, Woolston, to make ‘boats that fly’; Landau Marine’s boat repair business is now taking history full circle.
We look forward to ongoing collaboration with Landau who are as keen as we are to tell the many stories of what has taken place there over the years.
Images by Landau Marine, The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust, The Supermariners, and unknown sources
Comments on this post from……..
Susan C
In the description with this presentation it says:
‘It is worth noting that during the first weeks and months of the Battle of Britain, the only Spitfires that had been delivered to the RAF were the ones made on this site, in Southampton’.
Therefore Dad, who worked at Vickers Supermarine Woolston from approx. 1938 until is was destroyed by enemy bombing on 24th and 26th Sept 1940, would have helped to build the Spitfires which took part in the Battle of Britain.
Mum told us that during the BofB she didn’t see Dad for days. When the workers were tired they just slept on benches at the side of the factory floor.
Some people didn’t believe this ‘story’ but all the ‘stories’ that Mum told us I have proved to be true!
Jax R
So amazing how Landau has embraced the history of the site, think it’s lovely they’ve named areas after some of the workers 
Andy M
It was a great day , glad we sponsored the blue plaque outside .
Reply from Spitfire Makers
Andy M, Your sponsoring of the Spitfire Makers plaque at the entrance led to the link with Landau
Richard J W
What a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing 
The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust 