KITS 05/2023

Spitfire Vc Trop, JK715, S/Ldr Evan D. Mackie, No. 243 Squadron, RAF Hal Far, Malta, June – July 1943

In the middle of 1943, when the air battle for Malta

was won, the island became a key base for the

supporting air operations. On June 11, the No. 243

Squadron was transferred from Tunisia to the Hal

Far airport. The unit, under the leadership of one

of the most successful pilots in the Mediterranean,

S/Ldr Evan Mackie, during the following month

supported the Allied landing on Sicily during the

Operation Husky. With the change of the strategic

environment, the special Malta camouflages were

not necessary anymore and became history. The

incoming No. 243 Squadron however was an

exemption as the unit altered coloration of its

Spitfires. According to the memoires of its pilot in

his book Spitfire Leader, before the arrival to Malta

his new personal Spitfire Mk.Vc JK715, which until

then sported the classic “desert“ camouflage, was

repainted in olive green color on the upper surfaces

which matched Dark Slate Grey frequently used on

Malta. During his tenure at the No. 243 Squadron,

Mackie at the controls of his JK715 flying out of

the Hal Far airport, shot down five enemy aircraft.

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Makie’s original occupation was a mechanic, so

he was always interested in the maintenance of

his Spitfire. He obtained a set of exhausts from

Spitfire Mk.IX and was pleased with the improved

performance. For the first time those exhausts had

been installed on his previous Spitfire ES347. After

it crash landed, Mackie removed the priceless

exhausts and installed them on his new JK715.

He finished his war career with a score of 23 kills

including 3 shared victories, 2 probables and 11

aircraft damaged.

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May 2023

INFO Eduard

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