Spitfires start their engines for trust

A restored Spitfire engine will be on display during Kent’s home cricket match on Sunday to help raise funds for the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust.

Supporters can see the 27-litre Merlin engine, restored in 2013, tick over during Kent’s Royal London One-day Cup game against Gloucestershire at the Spitfire St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury.

It is the fourth game Kent County Cricket Club and sponsors Shepherd Neame have dedicated to help out the trust.

Fans will be reminded of the legendary aircraft their team is now named after when the county’s side take to the field on Sunday, July 31.

The match marks the start of Canterbury Cricket Week, with a number of other attractions filling the ground. Volunteers will man a small shop and talking about the trust’s aims and collecting donations.

The trust’s historical consultant, Geoff Simpson, will talk to the crowd during the tea interval and explain how important the battle was for Britain’s survival during the Second World War in 1940.

The ground-running engine was originally built in May 1945 and designed for a Mosquito, Spitfire or Lancaster Bomber.

Tickets for the game, which starts at 11am, are available at kentcricket.co.uk.