Spitfire Mk I P9374, with John Romain at the controls, during a test flight from Duxford during the first week of September. The aircraft has the exact markings it wore onMay 24, 1940, the squadron code letters GR having been removed shortly before that date, pending a diplomatic escort flight to France. Credit: David WhitworthSupermarine Spitfire Mk I P9374/G-MKIA took off on its much-anticipated first post-rebuild flight at 1910hr on September 1 at Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire. After the problem-free 15-min test flight, pilot John Romain’s first comment was: “The controls are very light, compared with a Spitfire Mk V”.

Owned by Mark One Partners Ltd, the Spitfire, almost certainly the first Supermarine-built Mk I to fly since the Second World War, has been rebuilt and assembled by Historic Flying Ltd and the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford.

Following its maiden flight from Eastleigh in February 1940, P9374 was delivered to 92 Sqn at Croydon on March 6. The unit became operational on May 9, 1940, at Northolt, but P9374’s combat career was brief. On May 24 Fg Off Peter Cazenove was patrolling over the French coast in the aircraft when it received a bullet in the cooling system. Cazenove made a wheels-up landing on a beach near Calais, and two days later was captured and sent to Stalag Luft III.