Gemini Aces GARAF1006N
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX Diecast Model
RCAF No.412 Sqn, George Buerling, RAF Biggin Hill, England, December 1943

George Beurling was a gifted aviator. Having failed in his attempt to join the RCAF, he made the hazardous Atlantic crossing to Britain, hoping to be accepted by the Royal Air Force. His flying abilities impressed officials, but they would only accept him on production of his birth certificate – this was back in Canada. Unbelievably, Beurling made this perilous, U-boat infested journey a second time, eventually returning with his birth certificate and immediately began his pilot training. Beurling was something of a loner, preferring to spend time with his aircraft and ground crew, than at the local bar. He would make detailed mathematical notes on the subject of deflection shooting – a critical aspect of aerial warfare, as yet not fully understood. He was also known for his amazing eyesight and lightning quick reactions, often commencing an attack before his comrades had even spotted the enemy!

The Supermarine Spitfire is arguably the most famous fighter aircraft of the Second World War. The type was in constant production throughout WWII and some 22,000 aircraft were built before the production ceased in the post war years. The Mark IX Spitfire was a thoroughbred fighting machine. Developed from the Spitfire Mk V variant, it was a direct response to the threat posed by the Luftwaffe’s new Focke Wulf FW 190A, which made a dramatic impact on the European Air War. So potent was this new German fighter that the RAF suspended operations over occupied Europe, as losses began to mount. The Spitfire Mk IX was more than a match for the FW 190 and became the Spitfire with which the RAF took to the offensive against Luftwaffe units in Northern Europe.