When frustrated commander-in-chief Hermann Goering demanded to know why the German Luftwaffe was struggling with British fighters and could not gain control of the skies over England, he made the mistake of asking Luftwaffe general and top ace Adolf Galland what he needed to prevail.
An angry Galland replied “I should like an outfit of Spitfires for my group.”
It was a history-making comment, and a measure of how successful the British-built Spitfire was in defending England during the Battle of Britain.
On Sept.15, Battle of Britain Day, the Canadian Museum of Flight in Langley will be displaying replicas of an early-model Spitfire and an early-model P-51 Mustang fighter.
Battle of Britain Day marks the date of a milestone large-scale aerial battle considered a decisive defeat for the Luftwaffe, in the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill later said that "never in the field of human conflict was so much, owed by so many, to so few.”
Museum General Manager Bruce Friesen said the slightly smaller replica Spitfire was built by an engineer from Boeing in Seattle, as a flyable 5/8 scale plane, while the replica Mustang, also smaller than the real thing, was a home-built aircraft that operated out of Abbotsford for many years.
"We’re really happy to be able to display the Spitfire, which was the iconic aircraft from the battle of Britain, and also to display beside it the North American Mustang that supplemented the Spitfire as a long range bomber escort," Friesen said.
Friesen described the museum as "a place that tells stories – stories of the role of aviation in our history and our present society. Battle of Britain day is one of our events aimed primarily at the latter, at the story telling. For some people, it is important their stories remain visible and alive, and for others it is valuable to have the opportunity to hear those stories and learn. That is what we will be striving to achieve September 15."
This year is “RCAF 2024”, marking 100 years of service for the Royal Canadian Air Force as a distinct military element, Friesen noted.
"This will be a great family day out for everyone. A day for aviation history buffs. An opportunity for those wanting to connect with RCAF memories," Friesen said.
In addition to the fighters, there will be a period-correct vintage sports car courtesy of Aldergrove collector Ian Newby.
Battle of Britain Day at the museum, located at Hangar 3, 5333 216th St. will run from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15.
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