Spitfire AD540 Blue Peter - documents and photos
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Description
During the second world war, ordinary people were encouraged to fundraise to provide Spitfires to the war effort. The people of Haymarket raised the requisite amount and named 'their' Spitfire after the race horse 'Blue Peter' which had won several imprtant races.
Spitfire Blue Peter was piloted by P.O. David Hunter Blair when it sadly crashed while on escort duty over the Clyde in 1942. The pilot did not surve the crash.
The remains of the aircraft were hidden in the landscape until found by Ralph Davidson of Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum in 1993; the enigine can now be seen at the Museum.
Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum
The digital version of our 2000 exhibtion Spitfire AD540 Blue Peter is available here - Spitfire AD540 Blue Peter exhibition.
There are memorials to both the pilot and the plane at the location where they were found. Remains of these crashes may still be seen on the hills. It is an offence to tamper with military remains under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and all sites should be respected and left as found.
