The Tony Lovell tribute Spitfire EB-N

After a 12 year build my Spitfire EB-N as flown by Tony Lovell, 41squadron, Catterick, finally took to the skies on the 13th of May this year.  An LAA inspector, Don Harker recalled to me when he was a young boy walking through Middlesbrough, watching a Spitfire shooting down a JU88 over the Eaton Hills. We traced the name of the pilot flying it (Tony Lovell) and managed to contact his niece who gave permission to display it as her Uncle Tony’s Spitfire. The commemoration flight will take place on the 18th of August, the day before what would have been Tony Lovell’s 100 birthday.

Tony Lovell who survived the war and was killed in a flying accident the day after the war ended.  Many pilots had some artwork on their aircraft nose, so when I contacted Tony’s closest relative, his niece, Helen Daw, she said that her uncle Tony was devoted to his mother who he called Cherub. So I had a picture of a cherub painted on the nose of my Spit. 
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I was told by Helen that August 19th would have been Tony’s 100th birthday but looking at my records it should be the 9th of August, not the 19th!  We still plan to do the dedication flight on Sunday the 18th at Fishburn airfield. Helen Daw and her family will be there as will relatives of Ben Bennions who flew in 41 squadron with Tony Lovell. We have a local folk duo coming to perform the song they wrote about my Spitfire, Tony Lovell and other RAF pilots of the Second World War. 

As Tony was a deeply religious man I also have my friend who is a vicar coming to do a short memorial service. ​