Special Secret Spitfire memorial goes up in Salisbury
It's being officially unveiled to the public tonight (Friday 9th July)
Last updated 9th Jul 2021
After years of hard work, fundraising and building, a special memorial to a part of Salisbury's history has been put up in the city.
The Secret Spitfire honours all the men, women and children who helped build 2,500 of the planes in total secrecy in Salisbury during World War Two.
After the bombing of the Southampton Supermarine Factory in September 1940, work to build the British Army's vital Spitfire planes was moved to the city.
One of those sites that helped produce the planes was Salisbury Rugby Club on Castle Road, which is where the statue has been placed.
The story was kept largely secret until the release of the 2016 film Secret Spitfires.
The memorial took 18 weeks to build in Norfolk and has a steel frame with a wingspan of 36ft 5inches.
In total it stands at 29ft 6inches tall.
On it are authentic Spitfire lights which will be lit up at night, while the memorial site underneath represents areas on the South Coast of England including the White Cliffs of Dover.
It was put up yesterday (Thursday 8th July) ready for it's official unveiling tonight.
Secret Spitfires Charity Chairman Chris Whalley said:
"Whilst we are delighted that the Spitfire will finally be unveiled - and with great fanfare - we are of course bitterly disappointed that we are unable to welcome the wider public, who have been so generous in their support, to join us for celebrations at the Clubhouse following the Ceremony. We had hoped that the lifting of Covid restrictions would take place on 21st June, allowing us to do this, but sadly it was not meant to be. The immovable date of 9th July has long been confirmed, and we are inviting our biggest supporters to join us alongside those who served in the secret factories and their families. We plan to hold a yearly fundraiser, complete with live music, drinks and delicious grub every Summer to celebrate the Memorial and hope to see large numbers turn out next year."
To celebrate it's unveiling, a flypast by a Spitfire will take place at around 6:30pm.
The Secret Spitfire Charity managed to raise over £85,000 for the installation of the memorial and they're continuing their fundraising efforts.
They want to raise another £30,000 in order to keep the statue looked after.
You can donate to the cause by visiting their website.