HE IS BACK

Lt Williams decided to gain allied-held territory and after having crossed the Appennini and in sight of Peretola, after the engine was cutted off, was forced to bail out, providing a "wizzard prand" as his parachute got snagged on the cockpit and he dangled from his Spitfire for what he estimated a minute, before getting free.
The Aircraft ended its run un a field in Galciana (Prato) while the pilot landed in a yard where the local farmers supplied him with first aids and drinks until a men from the South African Tank Regiment took him over to a military hospital.

On 7th July 2002 the "Gruppo storico ricerca" from Prato, knew with acceptable accuracy the crash site of an allied aircraft in a field in Galciana near Prato. First tests with a metal detector confirmed the existence of a metal mass and first excavations showed some sheets and cartridge cases.

On 5th October 2002 recover works began, creating a very deep hole where - at about 6 meters - some important metal pieces were collected and the next day the full engine was found at about 9 meters. Its plate revealed it as a RR Merlin 66 n.GU.110577 with four blade propeller. Subsequent works revealed the R.A.F cockade and the two first digits MH of record until - under the engine covering panels - was found the full record: MH768. Our Spitfire LF.IX

Today the aircraft is in a local museum, and Paoletti Guitars received the invitation to have a look at the wreckage with the idea of realizing a single piece guitar.

UPDATES (March 2017): Today 06/03/2017 our team recovers some parts - We are ready to start the adventure looking back at this amazing history... Paoletti Fabrizio as a guitar builder and pilot of light aircrafts, would like to pay homage to Leonard and the museum, giving a new life to the MH768 from his personal art of building guitars.  

UPDATES:  THE GUITAR IS COMPLETED AND READY TO FLY AGAIN IN OUR MEMORIES.

14/11/2017

In memory of Sir.Leonard Williams