In March 1936 at Eastleigh in Hampshire, test pilot ‘Mutt’ Summers flew the hand-built prototype of R J Mitchell’s Type 300 fighter for the first time. The design was streamlined yet strong. It was described at the time as “the most attractive aircraft ever designed”. Two months later, the Air Ministry decided on the name Spitfire and ordered 310 of the planes.

R J Mitchell died in June 1937 and was succeeded by Joseph Smith.

Spitfire MkIs entered RAF service with 19 Squadron at Duxford in August 1938 but production problems meant fewer than 50 had been delivered by January 1939. So a second factory was built and started with an order for 1,000 MkIIs.

By the end of 1938, the RAF had two fully-equipped Spitfire squadrons – 19 and 66 Squadrons based at Duxford. By the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939, there were nine squadrons with 10 to 18 Spitfires each – Nos 19, 66 and 611 at Duxford; 54, 65 and 74 at Hornchurch; 72 at Church Fenton; 41 and 609 at Catterick; and 602 at Abbotsinch.