From Daily Mail UK

Spitfire that saw in action in WW2 before starring in 1969 film Battle of Britain to be sold for £1.5m after spending 40 years in a Texas barn

By DARREN BOYLE

World War Two fighter starred in two major movies in the 1960s

The aircraft’s owner Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards flew stunts in both movies

He took the aircraft as payment and brought it home to Texas

The £1.5 million aircraft was last flown in 1973 and spent 40 years in a barn

Fully restored, the aircraft which first flew in 1943 could be worth £4 million

A rare Spitfire that saw action in World War Two and then starred in two blockbuster war films is up for sale for £1.5 million.

The 1943 Vickers Supermarine Spitfire IXb has been hidden away in a barn in Texas for the past 40 years and is being put up for sale by its current owner – Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, a stunt pilot from the film Battle of Britain.

Mr Edwards has owned the plane when he received it as down payment for his role in the 1969 classic film.

Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, right is selling his Spitfire which featured in the movies Battle of Britain and the The Longest Day while seeing action during World War Two before serving with the Belgian and Dutch air forces

Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, right is selling his Spitfire which featured in the movies Battle of Britain and the The Longest Day while seeing action during World War Two before serving with the Belgian and Dutch air forces

Mr Edwards, right, was a stunt pilot during the filming of the two movies and kept the aircraft as payment

The aircraft last flew in the 1970s but is in remarkable condition for its age and could be returned to the air

The aircraft last flew in the 1970s but is in remarkable condition for its age and could be returned to the air

The fighter also featured in the 1962 film The Longest Day about the D-day landings.

Now in his 80s Mr Edwards has decided to sell the plane with Platinum Fighters, a worldwide company which specialises in the sale of ‘war-birds.’

Although it last took to the air in 1973, it had been stored in dry conditions and suffered little rust or corrosion. And once fully restored and made airworthy it could be worth over £4 million.

John Rayner, co-owner of Platinum Fighters, said this barn find was very rare.

He said: ‘I think it is very rare. To find a Spitfire that has served in World War Two, served in the Dutch Air Force, the Belgian Air Force, and starred in two films – I don’t think you will find an aeroplane with much more history than that.

‘It is the original plane, and has not been refurbished or restored. It even has the same horse hair under the seats that the fighter pilots would have sat on in World War Two.

‘This is unlike other planes that you may find these days that have been restored, or never seen action. I think it is worth much more as an historical artifact than something that has been cobbled together with spare parts.’

Mr Edwards flew the Spitfire during many of the battle scenes in the Battle of Britain, pictured

Mr Edwards flew the Spitfire during many of the battle scenes in the Battle of Britain, pictured

The aircraft was built in 1943 and was deployed to 129 Squadron based in Hornchurch, Essex

The aircraft was built in 1943 and was deployed to 129 Squadron based in Hornchurch, Essex

Describing the plane’s rich history, he added: ‘It was built in 1943 by Vickers Armstrongs Ltd and went into action in the summer of 43.

‘It served with 129, 229, and 622 squadrons with the RAF. It was then sold to the Dutch Air Force and ended up in the Dutch Indies conflict, before serving with the Belgian Air Force.

‘After starring in two films, The Longest Day, and The Battle of Britain, it ended up in a barn in Texas in the 1960s.

‘It was on the ranch of one of the stunt pilots from The Battle of Britain, who took it as down payment for his role in the film.

‘He has a landing strip on his ranch and he flew the plane for a couple of years. But since then it’s been in his barn, so for 40-odd years.’

The plane was built in the summer of 1943 at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory.

The plane, which was called MH415, was delivered to No.129 Squadron at Hornchurch in August 1943, where it was issued with the squadron codes DV*G.

The plane was sent into action from day one flown regularly by Squadron Leader Henri Gonay, a Belgian who fled when his country was overrun in the Nazi’s Blitzkrieg.

The aircraft’s cockpit is in remarkable condition despite being 70 years old and not been used for 40 years

The aircraft’s cockpit is in remarkable condition despite being 70 years old and not been used for 40 years

Two months later MH415 was transferred to No.222 Squadron where it continued to take part in the fighting, and was moved around the country several times, including being part of the fleet at No. 126 Squadron at Bradwell Bay, Essex.

In August 1946 MH415, along with several other Spitfires, were sold to the Dutch Government where it was based in Java, Indonesia, before being sold on to the Belgian Air Force in April 1953.

It was sold to Belgian company COGEA, who worked with NATO forces, in June 1956.

In 1961 it was leased for film use in The Longest Day, which was filmed on location in France. The aircraft was painted in camouflage and flown with 340(Ile de France) squadron codes GW-B.

MH415 had by this time been purchased from COGEA by Rousseau Aviation of Dinhard in France, where the aircraft was in open storage for some years.

Between 1966 and 1968 the plane was used in filming for the Battle of Britain, filming scenes in Spain, France, and England.

After the cameras stopped rolling it was shipped to Houston, Texas and last flew in 1973.

The aircraft last flew in 1973 and has its Operational Record Book from the RAF detailing its exact history

The aircraft last flew in 1973 and has its Operational Record Book from the RAF detailing its exact history

Fully restored, and in flying condition the aircraft could be worth as much as £4 million to the right buyer

Fully restored, and in flying condition the aircraft could be worth as much as £4 million to the right buyer

Mr Rayner said they know so much about the history of the plane because the current owner looked into it.

He said: ‘The owner of the plane, a gentleman in his 80s, hired an historian to look into the plane’s history.

‘We have the Operational Record Book (ORB) from the RAF which tells you all about the planes history, where it served and where it was based and what operations it was involved in.

‘The historian went to London to look at the record books between 1943 and 1944 to find out more about the plane’s history. So we now know what operations the plane went on, who was piloting it, where it flew, if it was shot at, among other things.

‘It’s amazing to think that these sort of records still exist. People also knew about the plane and spent their time researching, and there are a lot of plane enthusiasts out there who have written about it on the internet.

‘So we have an overwhelming amount of information about it.’

The plane was listed on Platinum Fighter’s website and Facebook page on Wednesday and Mr Rayner said it has had an amazing response.

He said: ‘We put the listing on Facebook 48 hours ago and we’ve had thousands of likes or shares on Facebook since it went up.

‘At one point we had 348 people visiting our website from 17 countries at the same time. It’s amazing to think it’s had so much attention already. I think this is the most interest we have ever had.’

He added: ‘It may have been in the barn for 40 years but it was in good dry conditions, so there is no rusting, or corrosion. But obviously, it was in the barn so when we looked at it, it had an inch thick of dust and cobwebs on it, but that was all.

‘The plane is worth £1.5 million but I think if someone wanted to restore it, restore the propellors, the engine and things like that I think it would be worth £4 million.

‘With the amount of history it has – serving with the RAF, being in the Battle of Britain film, and the amount of interest we have and the love people have for Spitfires – I could see it making its way back to the UK.’

For more on this story go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2690599/Spitfire-saw-action-WW2-starring-1969-film-Battle-Britain-sold-1-5m-spending-40-years-Texas-barn.html#ixzz37O466R8E

EDITOR: Connie Edwards was a regular visitor to Grand Cayman. He used to own The Seaview Hotel on South Church Street, George Town. I have met Connie on numerous occasions. The last time was only a few years ago in Fidel Murphy’s! I also remember him making an unscheduled appearance in his seaplane during a Pirates Week Landing that threatened to sink all ships and boats nearby!