CELEBRATING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 75TH ANNIVERSARY HARITY and its fascinating story
Prisoner of War, while time, tides and sand gradually hid his plane from sight.
Restoration and remembrance Cazenove, who went on to become a veteran of the “Great Escape” preparations and ultimately survived his time as a Prisoner of War, never did get to see his aircraft again; he sadly passed away shortly before its recovery. The Spitfire, however, was ultimately restored by a highly skilled team of twelve engineers at the Aircraft Restoration Company/Historic Flying Ltd. in Duxford. It has been the most successful Mk.1 Spitfire restoration ever seen, with many of the original components of the plane included in the final result.
A substantial number of people will be watching the auction of the Spitfire with great interest; war commemorators, aircraft enthusiasts, and members of the Forces community alike will be keen to see the outcome of an event intended to generate such positivity. The cause is one that is close to Kaplan’s heart. “It [the restoration project] was to pay homage to those who Churchill called ‘the Few’, the pilots who stood between Hitler’s darkness and what was
left of civilization,” he explains. “The upcoming events of July 9th are, more than anything else, concrete gestures of gratitude and remembrance for those who prevailed in one of the most pivotal battles in modern history.”
The return of this eye-catching, lovely aircraft to its original glory – and to the skies – seems a worthy and fitting tribute to Cazenove and the many other incredible Spitfire pilots who played their part in defending Britain in the Second World War. In having performed such an act of remembrance through the restoration and auction of the Spitfire – and in donating the proceeds to such worthwhile and compassionate causes – Kaplan and his friend, Simon Marsh, carry us into the seventy-fifth anniversary year of the Battle of Britain by promoting values that are as meaningful to the RAF community and the wider world now as they were in 1940: compassion, justice and a drive to create positive change in the world.
Sources: BBC History –
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ history/battle_of_britain
Christie’s website (supplied in previous email) Mark One Partners: http://www.
markonepartners.co.uk/spitfire-i.;
www.raf-ff.org.uk
Envoy Summer 2015
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