LANCASHIRE RECORD OFFICE Lytham St Anne’s and the Spitfire Fund 1940 – 1941 As revealed in the wartime Lytham St Anne’s Mayor’s files preserved at Lancashire Record Office ( ref MBLS 7/11/1 – 5) The slide show takes about 12minutes and a print out of the images is available here today for those who prefer to view it in paper form

LANCASHIRE RECORD OFFICE What was the Spitfire Fund? After the Nizam of Hyderabad funded an entire squadron of Spitfires in 1940, the Government took up the idea and encouraged towns, business and other organisations to raise £5000 to sponsor the airframe of an aircraft that would carry their name. Each plane actually cost between £8000 and £12000 at the time (equivalent to about in £ to £ at 2009 prices, compared to a modern fighter which would cost about £15M to £20M ) Like many other towns Lytham St Anne’s rose to the Challenge…but with an adult population of only to raise the money!

LANCASHIRE RECORD OFFICE Lytham St Anne’s and the Spitfire Fund An initial gift by Miss Ward, a local lady, to the Mayor sparked the promotion of the Fund in August In this first section we see documents about the establishment of the fund and some of the ideas made by the public to raise the Money. It may have been wartime, but protocol was still observed with a receipt issued to all donors, and adverts in the local press all paid for! Police approval was needed for house-to-house collections, workplace collections and social fundraising event were Organised. However after a vigorous start by Xmas progress was slow…

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Lytham St Anne’s and the Spitfire Fund Contributions came from a wide range of people, raised in many ways – cash gifts, fundraisers by professional groups or children in back street concerts, sales of poetry books, and pictures made of silver paper among others……..

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Lytham St Anne’s and the Spitfire Fund But Lytham felt that it was falling behind before Xmas, and other towns were already buying funding aircraft – Blackpool two planes by November! Glossop, another small town, had raised money through charity football matches and was not slow to let Lytham know of its success. Lytham’s Mayor decided to up the pace and local pride mixed with patriotism in the town as we see from these letters!

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Success! A final push – women auctioning their earrings for the cause - and the line is crossed. It is apt that the mayor is now a woman, Miss J Rossall, as the role of women in the fundraising has been significant. Finally Lytham St Anne’s has its plane: a Mark 5b Spitfire No.W3664 also known as LYTHAM ST ANNE’S. It was completed in July 1941 and entered service with 19 Squadron. But after one task another comes. The war has moved on, and soon Lytham St Anne’s is looking to sponsor 12 bombers through the Weapons of War programme.

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What became of W3644 Lytham St Anne’s? After all this effort what happened to the plane and the man who flew it? Tragically it would appear that not only was the plane lost but its pilot as well. On a Ramrod (bomber protection) mission to France on 23 June 1942, German aircraft from JG2 Wing engaged 19 Squadron and track of W3644 was lost although no German record of a “kill” has been located. The pilot, Sergeant Allan Ridings was, aptly, a Lancashire man, only aged 20.

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Lytham St Anne’s and the Spitfire Fund 1940 – 1941 Lancashire Record Office would like to thank local historian Russell Brown for supplying information on the aircraft and its fate. Also Andrew Walmsley, Community History Manager for Fylde in Lancashire Library and Information Service, and Tony Sharkey of Blackpool Library. Also Andrew Schofield of North West Sound Archives at Clitheroe for the recording of the Spitfire engine playing in the background. The original Mayor’s files (ref MBLS 7/11/1-5) can be seen by the public at Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston. See or phone for opening hours andwww.archives.lancashire.gov.uk access details