Unveiling date for Spitfire

A UNIQUE tribute to Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding will be unveiled at his former home next month.

On Saturday 6 September the town will pay tribute to Lord Dowding when a replica Spitfire will be installed in front of Dowding House, along with a bust of Dowding as a tribute for the part he played in preventing a German invasion as a commander during the Battle of Britain.

The Spitfire, a replica of PT462, a Mk IX built in 1943, is moving to the site from its current location in the front garden of Moffat’s Dr Hamish MacLeod, who has donated it to the people of the town.

Dr MacLeod had always intended to leave the replica to the town but was persuaded to do so during his lifetime. He and others set up the Moffat Spitfire Project Group which has the backing of the Royal Air Force Association.

Dr MacLeod this week said: “I am absolutely delighted that the replica, which has given so much pleasure to so many people since it was put together in my front garden in 2009, is about to take on a new role at the centre of this well-deserved tribute to the man who arguably saved the free world by leading the RAF to victory in the Battle of Britain.”

The unveiling ceremony in September will be attended by Piers Dowding, third Baron Dowding and the grandson of the Fighter Command wartime leader.