Originally built for the R.A.F in 1944 at the Castle Bromwich works near Birmingham, PT462 started life as a single seat clipped wing H.F Mk IX. It was delivered to 39 MU in July 1944 being dispatched by sea in August to the Mediterranean Allied Air Force based in Italy. It was known to have served initially with 4 Squadron South African Air Force before being transferred to 253 Squadron based in Foggia coded as SW-A. Upon the end of hostilities the aircraft stayed in Italy as part of the occupying forces and in 1947 it was transferred to the new Italian Air Force as MM4100. Here it saw nearly 6 years service before being acquired by the Israeli Air Force in 1952. Details on its service with the Israeli’s are very sketchy but it is known to have been coded as I.A.F 2067 and operated as a ground attack aircraft. After being withdrawn from service around 1953 it was donated to a Kibbutz in the Gaza Strip for use in their playground.
In the early 1980’s the substantially intact remains were discovered by a British aircraft collector in the Kibbutz. After completing a deal in 1983 they went to collect PT462. Unfortunately by now there was only a partially buried fuselage, engine and damaged propeller left, the wings and tail unit having disappeared.
Property developer Charles Church purchased the remains in 1984 and decided to rebuild the aircraft to flying condition as a two-seat trainer version along with having the famous elliptical wing tips fitted. Completed in 1987 PT462 made several display appearances, however following Charles Churches fatal crash in another of his Spitfires, PT462 was sold to an American collector based in Florida in 1994.
Anthony Hodgson, the current owner, purchased the aircraft February 1998. The aircraft was stripped down, shipped back to Britain in a container and delivered to Duxford where the aircraft was re-assembled by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford being successfully test flown in August of that year.
The aircraft is based at Anthony’s private farm strip in North Wales and is currently the only Spitfire based in Wales.