History Stories

Perdiswell in Worcester has an important role in the history of aviation; it was the world's first municipal aerodrome, and in WWII film star Cary Grant crashed on the airfield and the King's Flight was moved there to escape the bombing raids. 

The most visible historical symbols were two famous aircraft, that, for more than thirty years, stood outside the Air Training Corps base, just off the Droitwich Road; first a WWII Spitfire and later a Gloucester Javelin.

The Spitfire was there for 13 years, until it went off to 'star' in the film The Battle Of Britain, made in 1967.

It was then replaced with the Gloucester Javelin jet fighter, which was there until 1987.

Both aircraft are now in museums - the Spitfire in Glasgow and the Javelin in Yorkshire.

The Perdiswell Spitfire

This aircraft, known as LA 198, was built in South Marston in Wiltshire in 1944, and flew for the first time on 21 September.

It wasn't allocated to a squadron until May 1945, No 1 Squadron, Manston, only three days before Germany surrendered.

The Spitfire then spent two years in storage, before being allocated to 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

The move north of the border wasn't a happy one for LA 198, as it crashed twice, on 25 October 1947 and 22 July 1949.

It remained in service until 1953, when it was returned to Vickers Armstrong - it could have been sold, but instead on 19 February 1954 it was presented to No 187 Squadron Air Training Corps in Worcester.

It stood proudly outside their headquarters, on the edge of the Perdiswell playing fields.

Finally though, and somewhat controversially for some local people, the Spitfire went off to feature in the 1967 film The Battle Of Britain.

After the film, LA 198 once again went on display, this time as one of the 'gate guardians' at RAF Locking, just outside Weston-Super-Mare.

It stayed there from 1970 until 1986, during which time its Rolls Royce Griffon 61 engine was taken out, to be used in one of the flying Spitfires in the Battle Of Britain flight.

1986 saw LA 198 move to RAF Leuchars, Fife, and eventually, in 1989, it was put into storage, where it stayed for the next seven years.

In 1997 it was presented to the city of Glasgow, and now has a permanent home in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery Museum - its been a long journey from Perdiswell.

Courtesy of Yorkshire Air Museum

The Perdiswell Javelin

The ATC in Worcester lost their Spitfire in 1967, but in its place they got jet fighter - Gloucester Javelin XH767.

The Javelin was the world's first twin-engined delta-wing fighter, and this one was built at Hucclecote and joined 25 Squadron at Waterbeach in December 1959.

It was capable of flying at more than 700mph, and was armed with missiles and machine guns.

From 1962 until 1965, the Perdiswell Javelin served with 11 Squadron in Germany and  was retired in 1967, just in time to find a new home in Worcester.

Javellin moves in, picture Clive Stanley

Fot 20 years it attracted glances from the passing traffic on the A38, before it went first to a museum in Gloucester, and then to a permanent home at the Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial, Elvington, York (who kindly supplied the image).

The picture of the Javellin being assembled at the Air Cadet base on Pitchcroft has been sent to us by Clive Stanley, and is used with his kind permission.