Look – it still fits!” Sitting on his sofa, John Preece was proudly showing off the helmet he has from being a pilot on the Battle of Britain film, a priceless piece of memorabilia from an unforgettable summer 53 years ago. “We had these lovely leather sheepskin jackets too, but they took those back,” he laughed, adjusting the straps for a snug fit before holding his arms aloft in mock triumph and announcing: “Biggles flies again!” He smiled and glanced down at the coffee table, where his precious photo album was sitting. It was open at the very page showing John in a two-seater Spitfire during filming in 1968. He was wearing the same helmet.
John Preece even sounds like a Spitfire pilot. He’s 84 but could easily pass for 70, and is still flying today – even after a prestigious 65-year aviation career. The dinging of his doorbell cut through the chat and John jumped up to answer, remembering to take the helmet off first (“If it’s the postman he might think I’m a bit odd,” he chuckled, unbuckling it).It’s not Royal Mail, but the person John had been expecting: Spitfire historian and long-time FlyPast magazine contributor, Peter Arnold.
John and Peter have never met. At least we don’t think they have.…
