Air Leasing Ltd's, Westland built Seafire LF Mk. III, PP972, G-BUAR, displaying on the second day of the IWM Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow 2017.
Seafire LF Mk. IIIc PP972 was one of 250 Type 358 Seafire LF Mk.IIIs ordered from Westland Aircraft in July 1943. It left Westland's Yeovil works on 27th September 1944 and was issued to a Royal Navy Armaments Depot (RNAD) on 28th September for collection by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA).
The aircraft was transferred to 809 (Naval) Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, in November 1944 before embarking with the squadron onto the aircraft carrier, HMS Stalker at Plymouth on 29th November, bound for Gibraltar. HMS Stalker was due for a refit upon arrival at Gibraltar and the Seafires were flown off and onto HMS Attacker, to be shipped to Egypt. PP972 and the other 809 Squadron Seafires re-joined HMS Stalker in March 1945.
HMS Stalker, with PP972 on board, left Gibraltar on the 7th of March 1945 for Trincomalee, Ceylon, with the 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron, arriving on the 20th of March. This then became part of the East Indies Fleet consisting of six CVE’s sent to re-occupy Singapore.
During its time in Ceylon, operating from both HMS Stalker and from RNAS Trincomalee, PP972, wearing squadron codes D6-M, was involved in numerous operations as part of Operation Tiderace, the British plan to retake Singapore. These included Operation “Dracula” - providing air cover to support landings in Rangoon in May 1945. Operation “Bishop” - a series of attacks on Japanese coastal bases. Operation “Balsam” - offensive sweeps of Japanese airbases during June 1945. Operation “Collie” - providing air cover over the Malayan coast in July 1945. Operation “Zipper” - air cover for landings in Southern Malaya, in August 1945 and operation “Jurist”- air cover during landings at Port Swettenham on the 9th of September and entering Singapor harbour on the 10th of September to support the Japanese surrender of Singapore back to British Colonial rule.
PP972 then sailed aboard HMS Stalker back to the UK arriving in October 1945 and then returned to RNAS Nutts Corner, Northern Ireland.
Following the disbandment of 809 Sqdn in January 1946 it was taken by 767 Sqdn in May, initially at Easthaven, and eventually at Lossiemouth and Milltown where it received the Milltown code of 120/MV.
The aircraft was then transferred to the French Aeronavale with code No. 12F2 then later to 1F9 when it was operated from the carrier “Arromanches” in Indo China. It was retired for instructional purposes in 1949.
After it was retired from technical training it was placed in storage at Hyéres and eventually ended up in a wired off compound at Base Aeronavale 83 Gavres, near Loirent.
During 1965 it was discovered by Jean Frélaut and acquired by him in January 1970 and he moved it to Vannes-Meucon and then later to Plescop by 17th September 1977. Jean decided that a restoration to static display condition could be undertaken and it was restored into its French Naval colour scheme from its No.1 Flottille days. After restoration it was exhibited at the Musee de la Résistance at St.Marcel near Malestroit, Brittany from 1982 but had returned to Vannes-Meucon by July 1984.
Jean decided to part with the Seafire and it was acquired by Warbirds of Great Britain (WofGB) at Biggin Hill, Kent in 1988 and registered as G-BUAR on the 21st January 1992 and then relocated to their Bournemouth, Dorset base. The Seafire was moved around various workshops eventually ending up with Air Leasing Ltd at Bentwaters, Suffolk where after restoration it flew again on the 15th June 2015, with Richard Grace at the controls, in this scheme depicting a Seafire of 880 (Naval) Squadron (FAA) of HMS Implacable.
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