Presentation Aircraft plaque : Nuffield Organisation

Cast alloy plaque mounted on a bevelled oak board. The plaque, bordered by a silver patterned frame, features at the top RAF wings with a 'W' in the centre and the word 'MERIT' underneath. The text reads: 'IN THE HOUR OF PERIL / NUFFIELD ORGANISATION / EARNED THE GRATITUDE / OF THE BRITISH NATIONS / SUSTAINING THE VALOUR OF / THE ROYAL AIR FORCE / AND FORTIFYING THE CAUSE / OF FREEDOM / BY THE GIFT OF / A FIGHTER AIRCRAFT / They shall mount up with wings as eagles / (italics) Issued by the Ministry of Aircraft Production / 1941' The words 'Nuffield Organisation' and 'A Fighter Aircraft' are printed in red. The reverse of the board is fitted with a hinged support and is also wired for hanging.

Plaque presented to the Nuffield Organisation, thanking them for the donation of a Spitfire aircraft. Presentation aircraft were originally a concept of the First World War and allowed individuals, communities and organisations to donate a material object to the war effort. The idea was revived at the start of the Second World War by the British Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook (William Aitken), who set targets for £5,000 for a fighter and considerably more for two- and four-engined aircraft. Some 2,000 aircraft (mostly Spitfires) were funded under this scheme, which allowed the donor's name (or the donor's choice of words) to be painted in four inch (10 cm) high letters on the fuselage. The aircraft represented by this plaque was a Mk Vb Spitfire, serial number BM248 and named, appropriately, ‘Nuffield'. It was ordered by the Ministry of Aircraft Production from Vickers Armstrong Ltd at their Castle Bromwich plant, as part of their third order for a thousand Mark III Spitfires. Although the contract was dated 24 October 1940, the first aircraft was not delivered until November 1941, with the last being delivered on 16 May 1942. All Spitfires in this order were actually built as Mark Vb s. The aircraft was received by 6 Maintenance Unit (based at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire) on 14 March 1942 which prepared it for operational service and issued it to 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, RAF on 17 April 1942, which was then based at Hornchurch in Essex. 'Nuffield' moved with the squadron from Honchurch to Fairlop where 313 Squadron was based until 8 June 1942. The same day, it was transferred to 154 Squadron, RAF for unspecified reasons. 154 Squadron then moved to Hornchurch and later Fairlop during July/August 1942, being involved in coastal shipping protection and sweeps over occupied France. Within two months, 'Nuffield' had suffered (unspecified) major damage and was written off as Category E (badly damaged) on 27 August 1942, having survived less than six months operational service. The Nuffield Organisation had massive involvement in Britain's WW2 aircraft programme. They built Spitfires; some 3,200 Tiger Moths; their Cowley Works conducted continual repairs on Spitfires & Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain (putting 150 fighters back into the air during this period and nearly 80,000 during the entire war) as well as reclaiming metal for production; and they were the preferred overhauler for Beaufighter and Lancaster Merlin engines. Aside from aircraft, they produced tanks, torpedoes, mines, ambulances, petrol cans and dozens of other items.