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"Grace" Spitfire The Norwegian Story
It was summer 2007 and Fighter Collections infamous Flying Legends air
show had just ended. Three hours of piston engined wonders in the air. I was on
my way back to Cambridge and heading in the direction of the exit when I
suddenly spotted a Spitfire on approach. I had been watching Spitfires all day,
but I stopped to take a closer look. Spitfires are graceful creatures of the
sky, timeless and historical at the same time. You just can't get enough of
them.
The Spitfire coming in to land had not been apart
of the show, it had invasion stripes on wings and fuselage and the codes OU-V.
The Grace Spitfire, ML407 was coming home to Duxford. After a beautiful
touchdown on the gras strip at Duxford on this lovely summer evening, it
disappeared from my view. It was my first sighting of this historical and very
special Spitfire. Little did I know at the time that I had witnessed the only
flying Spitfire with a Norwegian history to its name.
During research and writing for another article focusing on the history
and fate of four Norwegian Spitfires I stumbled upon ML407 at the excellent
Spitfire aircraft production site (http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/). Much to my
surprise it stated that ML407 had been in Norwegian service during the war!
After further investigation I ended up with a used copy of Hugh Smallwoods book
about ML407 and information about its time with 332 Norwegian squadron. That I
had not noticed this connection sooner is embarrassing, at best.
ML407 joining Norwegian 332 Squadron
The Grace Spitfire starts her starts her story at Castle Bromwich in
early 1944. She served with six different squadrons of RAFs 2nd Tactical Air
Force. 485 New Zealand Squadron became the first home of ML407 and now famous
Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton DFC. He took ML407 as his private airplane with
the codes OU-V, the same markings and colours shes flying with today. Houlton
shot down a Junkers 88 on D-Day, probably the first victory any allied pilot
claimed on D-Day. It stayed with Houlton and the New Zealanders until December
1944 when she was transferred to 342 Free French Squadron, now becoming the
personal aircraft of Jean Dabos. After 342, she moved through several squadrons,
308 (Polish) Squadron, 349 (Belgian) Squadron, 345 (Free French) Squadron and
then 332 (Norwegian) Squadron. 332 being her last squadron while the war were
still ongoing.
332 Squadron was based at Schijndel when they got ML407. Her former
squadron, 345, had re-equipped with Spitfire XVI. 332 squadron alongside the
other Norwegian squadron 331 were engaged in same the operations as 345, Armed
Recces in support of Canadian ground troops moving through central Holland to
the north-west. Ground targets included anything that looked like enemy
transport, road, rail, or on water. Shortly after ML407 came to Schijndel, the
squadron moved to B106 at Twente.
From the 19th of April 1945, three Norwegian pilots flew ML407. They flew
both Armed Recces and Report on Shipping with ML407, now with the squadron codes
AH-B. Pilots who flew ML407 are Ronald Anonsen, Johannes Rd, and Eigil
Stigset. Ronald Anonsen joined the RNAF in 1942, being a Canadian with Norwegian
roots. As with most Norwegian fighter pilots, he got his training at Little
Norway in Canada and joined up with 132 (N) Wing at Schijndel. Anonsen managed
to see his part of the action when he collected an 88m flak shell in the port
wing of his Spitfire over Wilhelmshaven. After the war was over, Anonsen joined
the Royal Canadian Air Force in the early 50s. After a five-year commission he
turned to bush flying in Newfoundland and Labrador. Mail deliveries, ambulance
service, fire patrol and extinguishing were the main tasks for this ML407
fighter pilot.
 
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The second ML407 pilot from Norway, Johannes Rd escaped Norway in
a fishing boat during late summer of 1941. He joined up with the Norwegian
forces at Little Norway and won his wings a year later. Rd then joined up
with 332 squadron then based at North Weald in the spring of 1943, claiming
the destruction of one Messerschmitt Bf 109E and a Me 410 Hornisse. He stayed
with 332 Squadron until 1946. After the war he was elected Life Vice President
of the Norwegian branch of Royal Air Force Association.
The last pilot to fly ML407 in combat, Eigil Stigset, escaped occupied
Norway for Stockholm were he boarded a Norwegian military aircraft bound for
Leuchars in Scotland after hearing an appeal for volunteers to join the
Norwegian forced abroad on the radio. Stigset joined 332 Squadron at Schijndel
on Aptil 14th 1945. His second time airborne from Schijndel was with ML407 on
a Local Recce. He flew ML407 for 1.5 hours during this specific day. Stigset
remained with the Royal Norwegian Air Force after the war, flying a bunch of
aircrafts including Vampire, Sabre, F-5 Freedom Fighter and even an F-16 (two
seater). He retired in 1982 as a Colonel.
Final Mission
From the 19th of April, 132 (Norwegian) Wing reports;
Yet again a great summer day with top class flying weather in all areas
covered by the squadrons. Everything is in movement! The Germans are in
movement on the roads and our armies are also in movement, even 132 Wing
moving from B85 to B106 all in all a very moving day!
Two days later, 331 and 332 squadron took off for their last
operational sortie of World War Two, and amongst them were Eigil Stigset and
ML407. Stigset took off alongside AH-R flown by Lt Kolling for an Armed Recce
over the Amsterdam area with 332 Squadron.. The squadron reported strikes on
an armoured patrol vehicle, one staff car with no results observed, a
motorcycle, a large patrol boat and a tug. The final Wing report from this day
reads the following;
Low cloud base, fog and rain stopped us from an early start of the day. First
aircraft airborne were a section from 331 and one from 332 for a weather rec
in area Z and X. The weather in the first area were not satisfactory for
operations, and 332 Squadron, who received a favourable report from area X,
covered this part of Holland from 15:20 to 20:30 with sections of two
aircraft. A total 18 take offs during these operations.
With those words the Norwegians and Spitfire ML407 ended their
operative missions over Europe during World War Two. There were no big words,
no big show, no encore. It was a simple mission accomplished and now they
could go home. 132 Wing itself continued on with two new Squadrons, but for
the Norwegians, it was all over. All together, Spitfire ML407 flew 5 sorties
with the Norwegians, a 7 hour and 15 minute total flying time. It might have
been the end for her too, but thankfully, fate had a different plan with
ML407.
ML407 meets Nick Grace
After being sent back to 485 Squadron (where she had previously been)
for a brief spell, she then found herself with the Irish Air Corps, being
remodelled there as a 2-seat trainer. The aging Spitfire stayed with the
Irish Air Corps for several years and was flown up until 1960. ML407 was then
acquired for the now infamous Battle Of Britain movie but were never restored
to former glory or used during the recordings. From 1969 and ten years ahead,
ML407 was well on its way to certain death. But, in 1979, Nick Grace bought
ML407 with all intentions of restoring her to fly. Nick Grace was determined
to rebuild ML407 because he wanted to fly it.
Nick Grace had always wanted to fly a Spitfire, but it wasnt very
easy. Its not like a Spitfire owner will say heres my Spitfire, now dont
prang it will you?. So Nick Grace bought a Spitfire and ML407 it was. Five
years later (1985) and she was back to her former glory. Infact, she was
probably more dazzling than ever before. ML407 seemed to like her new owner
and her new owner seemed to like her.
Nick Grace quickly got a reputation as a phenomenal Spitfire pilot and
flew ML407 in several movies, including Piece of Cake and Perfect Lady.
Tragically, Nick Grace was killed in a car accident in 1988. His widow Carolyn
Grace didnt part with ML407, she decided to take on the task of learning to
fly the Spitfire herself. She successfully completed her training and went
solo in 1990. Since 1991 she got Display Authorisation and Aerobatic and
Formation
qualifications to her name.
This Spitfire with Norwegian history, the only flying Spitfire in the
world flying with Norwegian roots is still flying in England with Carolyn
Grace at the controls. She still flies her at air shows all over England, even
in Europe. It is maintained by Chief Engineer Dave Payne and his team at
Duxford in Cambridgeshire.
There are several months to my next trip to England and Duxford, but
when that time comes and if I happen to see ML407 in the air, I will stop,
look closely at her and say; Now theres a Norwegian Spitfire!
Written by Tor Idar Larsen
Sources:
James Wheeler
www.ml407.co.uk
Arjan Vriez
Matt Willis
http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/
Smallwood, Hugh (1986) 2nd TAF Spitfire The Story Of Spitfire ML407
Ljone, Oddmond (1982) Tally Ho Norske Jagerflygere i Kamp.
Thanks to:
Carolyn Grace
Darran Harbar
Noorit Rapoport
(C) Tor Idar Larsen 2008
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