Hurricane Survivors by Richard Edgeler

P3351 was built by Hawker in February or March 1940. It served as aircraft K with 73 Squadron in France in 1940, later as TP-K after withdrawal from France in June 1940. Later it was with 32 Squadron in September 1940 coded GZ- -, 71 Squadron in December 1940 coded XR- - and in May 1941 with 55 OTU. It was converted to a Mark IIa following an accident in January 1942 and shipped to Russia in May 1942. The wreck was recovered in 1992 and the airframe restored by Hawker Restorations in England and the systems installed by Air New Zealand Engineering Services in New Zealand. The post restoration first flight was in January 2000. The aircraft is painted as K of 73 Squadron France 1940. It is still a Mark IIa with the longer nose, deeper radiator/oil cooler and a later Rotol propeller.

R4118 was built by Gloster in July or August 1940. In August 1940 it served with RAF 605 Squadron, coded UP-W. In January 1941 it was with 111 Squadron, coded JU-J. It was with 59 OTU in April 1941 and with 56 OTU in May 1942. It was shipped to India in December 1943 and was Struck Off Charge (SOC) in October 1944. It was was salvaged and brought back to the UK in 2001. Following restoration by Hawker Restoration its first flight was in 2005. It is currently painted in its original scheme of aircraft UP-W of 605 Squadron.

Z7015 was built by the Canadian Car and Foundry Company (CCFC) in December 1940 or January 1941. It was shipped to England in early 1941 and converted to a Sea Hurricane in June to July 1941. It may have been intended for use as a training aircaft as both the A frame arrester hook and CAM ship type catapult spools were fitted. It served with the FAA flown by 880 Squadron, coded 7- -, and later with 759 Squadron. Following a landing accident in November 1943, it was used by Loughborough College as an instructional airframe and was moved to the Shuttleworth Collection on 21 February 1961. It was displayed static and moved to Imperial War Museum (IWM) Duxford in 1981. Restoration to airworthy condition was done as a joint venture between IWM and Shuttleworth Trust. It first flew again on 16 September 1995. It is painted in FAA 880 Squadron colours and coded 7-L.

AE977 was built in March 1941 by CCFC and was shipped to England that month. In July 1941 it was converted to a Sea Hurricane Mark 1a, with Naval Radio but no arrester hook or catapult spools. It served with FAA 759 and 760 (Training) Squadrons and was badly damaged in an air to air collision at RNAS Yeovilton on 5 December 1942. It was written off and placed in storage. Unusually there are some wartime photographs of this aircraft in flight and these clearly show it was fitted with a DeHavilland propeller and no hook or catapult spools. It was sold to Hawker Restorations Limited in 1994 and was their first Hurricane restored to airworthy condition with a first flight on 7 July 2000. It is now painted as 242 Squadron aircraft LE-D.

Built by CCFC, BW881 was accepted into service on 22 January 1942 and served with RCAF 118 Squadron at Dartmouth and later with number 1 OTU at Bagotville. It had a Category B crash on 7 September 1944. It was recovered from a farm in Ontario in 1988, restored by Hawker Restorations Limited and had its latest first flight on 6 March 2006.

It was with RAF Squadrons numbers 26, 63, 309 and with 62 OTU. It remained airworthy and served with a number of Station Flights before it became becoming one of the founder aircraft of the Battle of Britain Flight in 1957. It force landed and burned out at Wittering on 11 September 1991. It was rebuilt by Historic Flying Limited and flies with cannons removed in a Battle of Britain paint scheme which is changed at every major overhaul.

This was the last Hurricane built on 27 April 1944. It was retained by Hawkers as part of their historic aircraft collection, entered in air races and used as a chase aircraft during the early development of the Kestrel and Harrier. It was delivered to the Battle of Britain Flight on 29 March 1972 and flies with them still in paint schemes which change at every major overhaul.

Formerly in service with RAF number 6 Squadron, this aircraft was recovered from a scrap yard in Jaffa, Israel in 1983. It was with Warbirds of Great Britain and was sold to the Fighter Collection. It was restored to airworthy condition by Hawker Restorations Limited between 2001 and 2003 and painted to represent the number 6 squadron aircraft JV-N and KZ321. It was sold to Vintage Wings of Canada in May 2006. It is the only airworthy Hurricane Mark IV.
The real KZ321 was lost on an operational sortie in May 1944, the pilot was killed. There is documented proof for this and I have spoken to a pilot who flew on the same sortie.

Built by CCFC, this aircraft taken on charge on 20 July 1942 and served with the RCAF. It was recovered from Canada by Hawker Restorations Limited and given registation G-HRLO. It was sold to Peter Teichman and restored to airworthy condition by Hawker Restorations Limited from 2006 and given a new registration G-HHII. Its first post restoration flight was on 27 January 2009. It is painted to represent BE505 of 174 Squadron and has aircraft code XP-L.

Built by CCFC, this aircraft was Taken On Charge by the RCAF on 7 October 1942 and Struck Off Charge on 29 November 1944. In 1984 it was recovered wingless from a farm by Jack Arnold Aviation Museum, Ontario. It was sold to Charles Church in the UK and restored to airworthy condition by Dick Melton Aviation with a post restoration first flight on 8 August 1991. It was sold to the Museum of Flying, Santa Monica, California and then sold to Ed Russel. It is painted as P2970 and the 56 Squadron letters US-X, an aircraft flown by Geoffey Page. It is distinctive because it has never been fitted with a radio mast.

Built by CCFC, this aircraft was Taken On Charge by the RCAF on 3 February 1943 and Struck Off Charge on 1 October 1946. In 1965 it was recovered by Neil M. Rose from a farm. It was restored to an airworthy condition over eighteen years and had its first post restoration flight on 10 May 1994. It was sold to Gerald Yagen in 2001 and had Civil Registration N2549 and no Squadron Codes. It was later repainted as 151 Squadron aircraft DZ-O with serial number V6793 and the Civil Registration changed to N943HH.

Built by CCFC in 1942, this aircraft was Taken On Charge by the RCAF on 8 February 1943. It is thought to have served with 123 Squadron at Debert before going to 127 and 129 Squadrons at Dartmouth and then to 1 Operational Training Unit at Bagotville. It was stuck Off Charge on 3 July 1947. It was sold to The Fighter Collection in 1982 and restored to airworthy condition using parts from Hurricanes RCAF5424, 5547 and 5625 and made its post restoration first flight on 1 September 1989, painted as RAF number 71 Squadron aircraft XR-T with serial number Z7381 . It was sold to The Historic Aircraft Collection in 2002 and after a further eighteen months of restoration, it flew again in 2004 now painted as RAF number 126 Squadron aircraft HA-C with serial number Z5140. In September 2005 it became the first Hurricane to return to the Mediterranean island of Malta since the Second World War. It flew there together with Spitfire BM597 as part of the Merlins Over Malta project.

This aircraft was built by Gloster and first flew in October 1939. It served with 245 Squadron with identification code DX-R and on 31 May 1940 crash landed on a beach at Dunkirk after engaging two Messerschitt 109s, its pilot P/O McGlashen surviving. It was recovered in 1988 by French enthusiasts and sold to Rick Roberts and is currently being restored by HRL.

This aircraft was built by Hawker and first flew in 1940. It served with the following RAF squadrons, number 238 coded VK--, 253 from 213 July 1940 coded SW--, 257 coded DT--, 43 coded FT-- and Number 55 OTU. While with 253 Squadron, it was flown by P/O W.M.C. Samolinski and was involved in several combats and he claimed the destruction of a Messerschmit 110. It was converted to a Mark IIa in July 1941 and shipped to Russia in May 1942. DR348 was recovered from Russia in the early 1990s and is currently being restored by HRL.

This went to Vaenga in Russia in October 1941 on the strength of RAF number 81 Squadron, part of 151 Wing. Identification coded 53-FE, it was left there when the Wing departed on 28 October 1941. A planned restoration to airworthy condition has been reported.

Built by CCFC, this aircraft is being restored to flying condition.

Built by CCFC, it was accepted into RCAF service on 18 December 1941, with number 118(F) Squadron, stored and then tranferred on 16 October 1942 to the RAF and assigned to the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit (MSFU) and then to the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) and finally to FAA squadron number 899 Squadron. It returned to Canada and was found on an Ontario farm. It is currently being restored to airworthy condition.

This aircraft, built by CCFC, was recovered in 1972 from a swamp near Gander, Newfoundland, it passed through at least on owner before arriving at Lone Star in 1991. After thirteen years of restoration by Ray Middleton of Fort Collins, Colarado, its first flight was on 14 October 2006. It was painted as RAF number 33 Squadron aircraft RS-W with serial number BG974. It was badly damaged on the ground in 2008 and is currently being restored to an airworthy condition.

-

-

-

-

-

-