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SOUTHERN at WAR

Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th May 2008


Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
Spitfire Mk19 PS915 - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

 

World War II

 
23rd Sussex (Hastings and Bexhill) Battalion of the Home Guard


Spitfire Flypasts - now confirmed as Mk19 PS915 - see below
Military Displays and Vehicles
Wartime Cinema Films
Concert Party Shows
Fancy Dress competition - Discount for passengers wearing period costume
Intensive Steam Train Service
Plus much more from the dark and difficult days of World War II

Please Note: Identity Cards (which will be issued to all passengers) MUST BE CARRIED at all times.

Poster for the event - click for large version

The Home Guard arrive at Horsted - 9 March 2008 - Jon Bowers Fond farewells - 9 March 2008 - Jon Bowers WVS wartime recipies - Paul Pettitt

USA class 0-6-0T (Jon Bowers)

Events taking place: Saturday and Sunday

At Sheffield Park:
  • Visit our wartime 'Yankie' Tank Locomotive No. WD1959
  • Military Vehicles
  • The Robbins Concert Party Show
  • Band Concerts (afternoons)
At Horsted Keynes:
  • Displays by the country's top Home Guard re-enactors - see their web site
  • SPITFIRE FLYPAST (weather permitting) - Saturday 10th May 2008 @ 14:55 hrs - Sunday 11th May 2008 @ 11:50 hrs by an aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight - see more details below.
  • Military and period vehicles on display
  • Wish Me Luck Concert party shows
  • War-time Cinema Films
  • War-time period fancy dress competition. Judging 1.30pm. All visitors are invited to attend in period costume should they wish - discount on train travel for those who do).

Cinema coach - Jon Bowers At Kingscote - see various displays, including:
  • WRVS Canteen
  • Temporary Kingscote Post Office display
  • Samples of Home Front wartime food
  • Signals Post in station forecourt
  • Military re-enactors and encampment
  • Children's Quizzes


Intensive steam train service

Fare details and advance ticket purchases

The Home Guard - 9 March 2008 - Jon Bowers Not everything is grim! Boarding the train - 9 March 2008 - Jon Bowers Entrance to Kingscote station 2004 Awaiting departure - 9 March 2008 - Jon Bowers


Spitfire Mk19 PS915 - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire Flypasts

 
The Aircraft is now confirmed as Mk19 PS915 of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Weather permitting, the flypasts take place on Saturday 10th May 2008 @ 14:55 hrs and Sunday 11th May 2008 @ 11:50 hrs

PS915 entered service just too late for the war, joining 541 Squadron at Benson in June 1945 before moving to the PR Development Unit to take part in tests of new cameras. Assigned to 2 Squadron at Wunsdorf in Germany she later flew strategic reconnaissance sorties in connection with the East/West divide of Europe . She was returned to the UK in 1951, moving to 9 MU at Cosford before joining the THUM Flight at Woodvale in 1954. In 1957, PS915 became a founder member of the Historic Aircraft Flight, the forerunner of the BBMF, but was quickly retired to gate-guardian duties, serving in that capacity for nearly 30 years at West Malling, Leuchars and Brawdy. She re-joined the BBMF in 1987 after being modified to take an ex-Shackleton Griffon 58 engine and refurbished to flying condition by British Aerospace (Warton Division).

PS915 currently wears the colour scheme and markings of PS888, a PRXIX of 81 Squadron based at Seletar in Singapore during the Malaya Campaign. This aircraft conducted the last ever operational sortie by an RAF Spitfire when, on 1 April 1954 , it flew a photographic mission over an area of jungle in Johore thought to contain hideouts for Communist guerrillas. For the occasion the aircraft's ground crew painted the inscription `The Last!' on the left engine cowling. The longevity of the Spitfire design is evident, as the aircraft type which first entered service in 1938 was still serving operationally with the RAF 16 years later despite rapid developments in the performance of military aircraft during that time.

Spitfire Mk19 PS915 - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight


Please Note: whilst the Bluebell Railway will do its best to provide the attractions described, if necessary they may be subject to alteration without notice.
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Valid HTML 4.0 Transitional! Page updated 8 May 2008 by Richard Salmon.
Photos from past events, and a special photo shoot, with thanks to Paul Pettitt, Jon Bowers, and the 23rd Sussex Home Guard. The spitfire images are courtesy of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
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