On Silver Wings

Relaying the events of Desmond Ibbotson’s short but eventful but eventful career as well as what happened next, investigating his tragic death on a routine test flight, and how he came to have two graves

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In July 1940, Desmond Ibbotson joined the RAF aiming to fly Spitfires. Flying with three of the RAF’s elite squadrons, Desmond accumulated over 650 hours flying seven types of Spitfires, was credited with 11 confirmed victories and received the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar. How then was he killed on a routine test flight in 1944? When he had a marked grave, why was a Spitfire excavated from an Italian field 62 years later with his remains still inside? Presenting over 20 years’ of meticulous research and writing, this detailed study respectfully relays the events of Desmond’s short but eventful career as well as what happened next, investigating both his tragic death on a routine test flight, and how he came to have two graves.