Supermarine Spitfire ML407 “Grace Spitfire” – V/OU Low-Level Pass Captured by Stuart H. Bourne, this iconic two-seat Spitfire performs a dramatic low-level flyby in full D-Day markings. Originally flown by F/O Johnnie Houlton DFC over Normandy, ML407 now flies with Air Leasing Ltd, preserving its combat legacy and postwar restoration lineage.
Supermarine Spitfire ML407 “Grace Spitfire” – V/OU Low-Level Flight Photographed by Stuart H. Bourne, this striking image captures ML407 in a dynamic low-level pass, wearing its historic V/OU D-Day markings. This aircraft is one of the most storied surviving Spitfires, having flown 176 combat sorties and logged 319 operational hours during WWII.
Built in early 1944 at Castle Bromwich as a Spitfire LF Mk.IXe, ML407 was delivered to 485 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF on April 29, 1944. It became the personal mount of Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton DFC, who was credited with shooting down the first enemy aircraft over the Normandy beachhead on D-Day, June 6th 1944.
After serving with multiple Allied squadrons—including 341 Free French, 308 Polish, 349 Belgian, and 345 Free French—ML407 was converted to a two-seat trainer for the Irish Air Corps in 1950. It later passed through private hands and was meticulously restored by Nick Grace, who returned it to flight in the 1980s. Following Nick’s passing, the aircraft was flown by Carolyn Grace, becoming the world’s first civilian-flown Spitfire by a woman.
Today, ML407 is operated by , based at Sywell Aerodrome, and continues to fly at airshows and commemorative events across Europe. It remains a living tribute to Allied airmen and the enduring legacy of the Spitfire.
