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THE SPITFIRE.

A quite outstanding aeroplane, I recall with delight,

Designed by R.J.Mitchell, who would live for its first flight,

As played by Leslie Howard in the film “First of the Few",

Who, on a flight soon afterwards, just disappeared from view.

Its ancestry was seaplanes, in the Schneider Trophy days,

And thus emerged this fighter, so unique in many ways,

To counter Me 109s, when later they would meet,

Alongside trusty Hurricanes, it saved us from defeat.

But it required some motive power when it was first conceived,

And, magically, the Merlin came, a joy to be received,

An engine of the highest class, deserving every praise,

It also powered our Lancasters, in Bomber Harris days.

It had a sound I won’t forget until the day I die,

That lovely Merlin purr, which says a Spitfire’s in the sky,

I do not mean the Griffon-engined one, which might appear

For that’s a bastard of the ilk, I must make this quite clear.

But I am glad this wondrous plane is not beyond recall,

I have a lovely print by Barrie Clark upon my wall,

A birthday present to myself, some many years ago -

One of my better acquisitions, I will have you know

It cheers me, in my dotage, when I sometimes feel depressed

I also fly it in Flight Sim. — Mark Nineteen is the best!

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