The history of BW853
First date: 17 December 1941 – Taken on strength by No. 118 (F) Squadron at Dartmouth
Stored at Dartmouth, as reserve aircraft for the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit of the RAF. Served with No. 126 (F) Squadron at RCAF Station Dartmouth, NS in 1942. Coded “BV*L”. With N. 127 (F) Squadron when it was in a Category B crash at Dartmouth on 24 July 1942. To Canada Car & Foundry at Amhearst for repairs, 6 August 1942. To CC&F at Fort William on 1 February 1943, originally scheduled for conversion to Hurricane Mk. IIB, but returned to Eastern Air Command as Mk. XXIA on 5 July 1943. To No. 1 (F) Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Bagotville, PQ. Category B crash on 11 August 1944 at Bagotville, later reclassified as Category A. Remains purchased by A.J. Ditherridge of the UK in 1988. To ADJ Engineering at Milden, Suffolk, UK for restoration 6 October 1989. First flight 1994. To UK civil register post war as G-BRKE, cancelled 22 December 1995. Pieces used to resotre BW881.
Last date: October 1944 – Struck off, reduced to spares and produce
BW854 Hawker Canada Car and Foundry, Fort Sea Hurricane
Timeline of events
24th August 2028
British auction house Bohams will sell one of the last four remaining Sea Hurricane airplanes in existence. The 1941 Hawker Sea Hurricane XII will be offered for sale without reserve at Bonhams’ annual Goodwood Revival auction on 19 September, where it is expected to fetch between $55,000 to $90,000.
Hawker Sea Hurrican XIIA BW853, was rescued from Canada by AJD Engineering in 1989 and shortly afterwards was bought by the current owners, who intended to restore it but have not had the opportunity to do so.
A restored Hurricane must be proved to be 100 per cent genuine to be CAA-registered. BW 853 is already recognised, and was registered as G-BRKE some 20 years ago. It appears on all surviving Hurricane listings with both serial numbers and its UK registration number. Most importantly, it also still retains the original data plate – another essential item to qualify as totally genuine.
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