We Just Lost A D-Day Veteran. This Is Her Story
YouTube / Caliban Rising - Aviation History
Last May 25th, 2024, news broke rocking the warbird community from all around the globe. While returning to base at RAF Coningsby, one of the six Spitfires operated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight crashed.
An Unfortunate Accident
This incident marked the first fatality in the nearly seven-decade history of the BBMF. It also marked the first loss of a serving RAF pilot aboard a Spitfire since January 12th, 1951, casting a poignant shadow over the aviation community.
Details surrounding the cause of the crash remain shrouded in uncertainty, leaving questions lingering about the fate of the historic Spitfire and the possibility of restoring it to flightworthy condition.
The pilot, Squadron Leader Mark Long, met an untimely end, leaving behind a legacy of service and dedication to the skies.
The MK356 Heroics
The MK356 was used in operations during WWII. She was completed on February 4, 1944, and was later sent to the number 443 Squadron.
This particular Spitfire is known to have participated in no fewer than 60 operational missions.
The MK356 was flown on several missions by various pilots of the squadron. It took part in several D-Day operations.
Moreover, one of its pilots, Flying Officer Gordon Ockenden RCAF, claimed a shared confirmed kill on a German Me Bf109 on D-Day.
Return to Airworthy Condition
After returning from its 60th wartime operation on June 14, 1944, the aircraft belly landed with its retracted undercarriage.
It spent over 53 years in the RAF’s hand before it was returned to airworthy condition after joining the BBMF collection in 1997.
