The Daily Telegraph

Captain Tom’s 100th birthday will be celebrated with a Spitfire fly-past

Second World War plane to be flown over veteran’s house in honour of his £20m NHS achievemen­t

- By Dominic Nicholls DEFENCE AND SECURITY EDITOR

‘It will be a morale booster for us all to see a Spitfire in the sky. It’s been the symbol of freedom in the past and quite an icon for Tom’

A SPITFIRE fly-past is being planned for the 100th birthday of Captain Tom Moore, the Second World War veteran who has broken fundraisin­g records by generating donations of more than £20 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden.

The former tank commander, referred to as a “one-man fundraisin­g machine” by the Duke of Cambridge, completed his mission on Thursday and said it was “an absolutely fantastic sum of money”.

A team of aircraft restorers now hope to fly a tribute in a Second World War-era Spitfire to mark Mr Moore’s 100th birthday on April 30.

Alex Monk, 21, of the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in south-east London, said the fly-past over Mr Moore’s Bedfordshi­re home would be a small gesture to celebrate his achievemen­t.

“It will be a bit of a morale-booster for us all, really, to see a Spitfire in the sky. It’s been the symbol of freedom in the past and quite an icon for Tom,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

Captain Tom, as he is affectiona­tely known, has been offered a flight in one of the company’s two-seater Spitfires later in the year. “We can’t do that at the moment so in the meantime we thought we’d try and do this for his birthday,” Mr Monk said.

The company’s flagship aircraft, The Spirit of Kent, will fly the sortie piloted by Mr Monk’s father, Peter, a former Ryanair airline captain who has been flying Spitfires for over 20 years.

The Spirit of Kent, a single-seat Mark 9 Spitfire, was built in 1945. While never having seen active combat experience, it did take part in the Battle of Britain memorial fly-past led by Douglas Bader after the war.

The aircraft will be in the standard RAF livery of the time – green and grey camouflage – and the company hopes she will also be sporting the NHS logo at the time of the proposed flight.

As this year is the 80th anniversar­y of the Battle of Britain, the sight of a Spitfire will be even more welcome.

Mr Monk and his colleagues are able to continue working on their restoratio­n projects as they are classified as key workers because of their contract to maintain the Mod’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Such work has to continue throughout the lockdown period and is possible even while adhering to social distancing requiremen­ts.

However, the company has sought guidance over the proposed fly-past from the Department for Transport (DFT), to ensure they remain compliant with government requiremen­ts to minimise activity and unnecessar­y travel. A spokesman for the DFT told The

Telegraph: “Captain Thomas Moore’s fundraisin­g efforts have been an inspiratio­n for the nation. We are carefully considerin­g proposals to help honour his incredible effort.”

During the war RAF Biggin Hill was a base for Spitfire and Hurricane fighters defending London and the southeast. It continues to be an active civilian airfield but has rarely been so quiet.

“From the moment the lockdown came into force we stopped flying,” Mr Monk said. He hopes that will change on April 30 and The Spirit of Kent can take to the skies once more, to mark the incredible achievemen­t of the Bedfordshi­re centenaria­n.

“Tom, more than anyone, knows what a Spitfire means, and to hear and see a Spitfire in the air for himself will be a nice experience for him.”

Capt Moore teamed up with Michael Ball for a cover of You’ll Never Walk Alone in a bid to raise more money for the NHS. The 99-year-old recorded a duet with Ball of the tune, which has become an anthem for medical staff during the pandemic, featuring the NHS Voices of Care Choir.

The track features a spoken introducti­on from Capt Moore, who says: “Hold your head up high / And don’t be afraid of the dark.” West End star Ball, 57, called for the single to reach number one in time for Capt Moore’s 100th birthday.

 ??  ?? The Spirit of Kent Spitfire, piloted by Peter Monk, right, will fly over the home of Capt Tom Moore, above, on April 30
The Spirit of Kent Spitfire, piloted by Peter Monk, right, will fly over the home of Capt Tom Moore, above, on April 30
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