Spitfire MK356

---

by: kurtis RCAF 144 Wing Aircraft 2016-12-25 22:27:05

From Wikipedia, BBMF site (Battle of Britain Memberial Flight) The Mk LFIXe Spitfire, MK356, was built in March 1944 with clipped wings optimised for low level flight, and fitted with a Merlin 66 engine. Allocated to the Royal Canadian Air Force 144 wing, based in various locations around southern England, she took part in the Rodeo fighter sweep over occupied France in the weeks leading up to D-Day
reply

---

reply: Red Dragon 2017-01-22 18:36:34

On 14 April 1944 ‘MK’ flew its first operational mission as part of a ‘Rodeo’ fighter sweep over occupied France, piloted by 20-year-old Canadian, Flying Officer ‘Gord’ Ockenden, who flew 19 ‘ops’ in the aircraft. From then on, MK356 was involved in fighter sweeps and in attacking ground targets by dive bombing and strafing in the lead-up to the ‘D-Day’ invasion and in support of the landings and fierce fighting afterwards.

In 60 days of furious flying and fighting, ‘MK’ flew 60 operational sorties, was damaged by enemy fire on three occasions and suffered three ‘wheels-up’ landings. On D-Day+1 (7 June 1944) during a beachhead cover patrol in MK356, ‘Gord’ Ockenden’s flight engaged four ME Bf 109Gs “on the deck”. He fired at one of the ‘109’s and saw his rounds hitting the enemy aircraft. His wingman finished it off and each pilot was credited with a half share of the kill.

On 14 June 1944 the aircraft’s third ‘wheels-up’ landing of the war ended its short but intense operational life, as the next day the Squadron moved to airfield ‘B-3’ in France and ‘MK’ was left behind to be collected and stored by a maintenance unit.