The accompanying small piece of aluminium was recovered from the wreckage of

SPITFIRE Mk.Vb  AB975

  which at the time crash was flying with 277 Squadron of the RAF. 

The small piece of rectangular aluminium measures approx. (max) 2.0 cm x 4.5 cm. 

See PHOTO'S.

The small damaged piece of aluminium has two empty rivet holes with one rivet still in place.

 

 The Spitfire crashed near Oborne, Sherbourne, Dorset

 on 25^th June 1944  killing the pilot F/O.  F.G. D. O’Callaghan.

 

Spitfire AB975 was built at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory in August 1941.

 On operation she had the call letters AV-A.

Up to flying with 277 Squadron, the Spitfire operated with other squadrons and had a

number of different pilots including  Squadron Leader Giovanni Dieu who had a Me109F (27-09-1941) and a Fw190 (08-03-1942) as “probables” while in AB975.

Ab975 was also flown by Duane Beeson (U.S.A.A.F) in 1943 who finished the war as a famous decorated American pilot.

  

227 Squadron based at Stapleford Tawney, was formed in 1941 for air-sea rescue covering  the busy channel area between south-east England and Northern France over which large numbers of  bombers and fighters operated.  The squadron operated Lysanders, Walruses, Defiants, Sea Otters and Warwicks as well as Spitfires which were ideal for spotting ditched aircrews.  The Squadron was disbanded in February 1945.