Spitfire Bridge Winchester - What Really Happened.
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
- Spitfire Bridge was a local landmark for the residents of Winchester, having been built just before the Second World War and acquired its name following a daring manoeuvre by a fighter pilot.
But the true story isn't quite what you would expect, and only a detailed investigation by a local historian came up with the facts. 
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That P 40 looks like the bastard love child of a Hurricane & Spitfire one night stand .
Good call m8, it has a cupla bludy good Parents
From what I have heard it pretty much flew like a bastard love child as well. US forces never had much success with the P-40, and most of them were"palmed off" on supposed allies like Great Britain. Chennault and the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) in China had rather more success, but they were flying under Nationalist China's flag, not the US ensign,
Anyone who thought that Tomahawk was a Spitfire needs to have their Airfix licence withdrawn.
I knew it wasn’t a spitfire straight away. They look nothing alike in my opinion
I lived the first 25 years of my life in Hampshire, and often travelled on the old Winchester by-pass. I remember Spitfire Bridge well. I was always under the impression that the Spitfire story was an urban legend. Thanks for clearing it up for me.
Happy to help!
To my eyes, the P-40 Warhawk (Tomahawk was the British name for early marks) more resembles a Hurricane than a Spitfire -- so I was puzzled by your bluff.
I doubt the majority of viewers would not have spotted that, but great that someone is looking closely...!
first thing I saw too
@@oscarsgarage447 Spotted that error straight away.
To us who live local.. its still spitfire Bridge. My uncle lived in Odiham during the war and told me that the pilot injured his neck quite badly during the crash landing and had a neck brace fitted afterwards. Word soon got around about what he had done and he became a bit of a celebrity in the village.
Great story, thanks!
I spent a lot of time in Winchester from 1986 onward and lived there from 91-98, and it was always called Spitfire bridge then. Still is, as far as my mates who still live there are concerned!
In 1988 Ray Hanna flew a Spitfire under Winston bridge in Co Durham for a scene in a tv programme "piece of cake". There is a short documentary on RUclips called "The Winston Bridge Spitfire Story".
That's very true.👌
You beat me to it 320. I cross this bridge regularly. It has the ornament on top plus the great event itself caught on camera and reel, nothing fake at all. So Oscars Garage, if a bridge near Winchester can make the cut, Ray Hanna’s stunt is the icing on the cake.
Ray Hanna was a genius with wings and a superb Spitfire pilot.
I'm sure I'm not alone in being a car fanatic who finds Spitfire planes a lot more interesting than Triumph Spitfires 😉.
LOL! Next WD video features a Triumph Spitfire...
@@oscarsgarage447:-)
I prefer a full English breakfast to either of them.
Ex aircraft engineer who also owned a Triumph Spitfire 1500 ! Thanks for that video. I was born in Eastleigh, so knew the 'legend'. Now know the correct info. Excellent !!!!!!
Too many stories. Everyone flies off into the nether gloom.
Brilliant I’m from Eastleigh and always remember many drives under and over this bridge long gone but not forgotten. Ps who remembers hockley traffic lights and nightmare queues on that old road 😊 great info thanks
Glad you enjoyed it. I don't know the traffic lights but hopefully someone else will have memories.
I remember the Hockley traffic lights. Unfortunately I got a ticket for going through them on red (thought I could make it!) while towing an old boat back in the earley 80's 😒
As a pilot who spent many years flying from a nearby airfield, I can tell you Spitfire Bridge has quite a pull. One of these days someone will fly under the new bridge.
In this day and age I expect it would generate a lot of dash cam footage...
The picture of the Tomahawk confused me when you said Spitfire - all became clear. Edit after watching - excellent true story well told.
Thanks! And also thanks for actually watching the whole video!
Great informative video , I’ve lived locally all my life and was there when they demolished it and pulled a temporary Bailey Bridge over it one evening. We knew it wasn’t a Spitfire but people had said a Hurricane but happy to see the definitive evidence here. Oh and it’s the A33 or was the 34 starts a bit further up past junction 9.
My godfather was a Sunderland flying boat pilot who was awarded a DFC for a particular escape in Norway that involved flying under a bridge.
My Great Grandpa flew a plane under a bridge during the First World War, got himself demoted for it
Awesome little video. I had the pleasure of flying the grace Spitfire a few months ago. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it
One can fly under bridges in the U.K. today, after applying for and receiving prior permission from the CAA for filming.
I've flown under Sydney harbour and London tower bridges many times but it was on flight simulator
Thank you enjoy these retellings of quirky incidents makes the day interesting.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Interesting Oscar, shame that bridge has gone Interesting looking structure
Cheers Russ
As he said, it's a parabolic arch. It would be reinforced concrete, and looks wildly over-engineered.
Excellent story Oscar. I enjoyed it a lot and subscribed for more. Create On!
Thank you! Will do! (Another plane/bridge story coming!)
Since the new bridge is so much bigger, couldn't you get a Lancaster bomber to fly under it.
A Lancaster flew under Sydney Harbour Bridge many years ago.🇦🇺👍
I remember a news programme when the new bridge opened and they said it was wide enough for Concorde to fit through and jokingly suggested that maybe it should be called Concorde Bridge
My dad always told me in the 70s about the Spitfire flying under that bridge during the war.
Hi Oscar. I live not too far from where the bridge was a remember it with fond memories. When you saw that beautiful bridge, home wasn't far away. The replacement isn't a patch on the old one but is still referred to as Spitfire Bridge to this day. Great video, Thanks 👍
Thanks. Funny how a lot of us have landmarks that signify 'nearly home'. Maybe there is a video in that,,,
Nice story. when I was young, it was always called spitfire bridge, and I saw it many times.
Yes, as an aeronut through and through, I imediately recognised the P40. In war time aircraft reconition was sketchy, there was no internet and very few pictures to go by so any single seater was instantly a "spitfire".
I didn't know it had been demolished since I live in wales now.
Thanks for the story.
Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching the rest of the video before commenting about the 'Spitfire'
When it opened, the Winchester Bypass may have been classified as the A33, however, it became the A34 several decades before it made way for the M3. I remember travelling under Spitfire Bridge a several times before it was demolished-On the A34! Also, Spitfire Link is the A272 from Winnall Roundabout to Spitfire Roundabout where it meets the A31 Petersfield Road. Incidentally, Eastleigh was where the first Spitfire took off in 1936!!
I did scoff, saying, “That’s not a Spitfire!” when you put the P40 picture up!!
Good video though!
Thanks! I had dropped that picture in to see how many commented without watching the rest of the video!
I think you're wrong. I am looking at my copy of the First Series 1:50000 OS map "major roads revised 1978." The A33 starts where it branches from the A33/M3 at Popham, and continues to where it joins the M27 outside Southampton. The A34 terminates where it joins the A33 at Kings Worthy -- more or less where it does now (now it terminates at the Winnall Roundabout.)
@@johnbriggs3916 Maybe it was, I was quite a lot younger then but I always remembered the road from the M27 through to Hockley Lights as the A34. It was a long time ago and we hadn’t had a car very long back then.
@@DCS1967 The road from the M27 through to Winnall was always the A33. That first section from Chilworth which actually ended at Compton was the Chandler's Ford - Otterbourne bypass which was built in the mid 1960's opening in 1967, I remember it being built and the changes in road layout at either end of it that occured, from Compton to Bar End/Winnall it was the Winchester bypass. The original route of the A34 prior to the upgrade to route it towards Winnall from Three Maids Hill which opened in 1969 is the following. If you look at a current map find Three Maids Hill (A272) along the A34, then follow along the Andover Road (B3420) all the way into the city near the council offices, then head toward the city along High Street and turn right at the lights into Southgate Street (B3335) which then becomes Saint Cross Road. At the Hockley Link Roundabout follow Otterboune Road until you are about to cross the M3, this is where the A34 ended and joined with the A33. Prior to the Chandler's Ford - Otterbourne bypass being built the A33 continued along Otterbourne Road - Main Street - Otterbourne Hill. At the top of Otterbourne Hill follow Winchester Road through Chandler's Ford to the Central Precinct where it becomes Bournemouth Road (B3043). Keep following this road which goes past Asda, then you come to Hut Hill where it becomes Winchester Road again before finally getting to the Chilworth Roundabout. From there the A33 is back on its original route of Bassett Avenue and The Avenue heading towards Southampton. Once it reaches London Road I can't remember the route it took, alot of redevelopment was already underway at the time of my earliest memory, maybe it went along London Road - Above Bar then through the Bargate and along High Street but I think it headed towards Six Dials along Dorset Street, then along Queensway to end near the Royal Pier.
Thank you,this is a very interesting video. I am glad I watched it.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it
I have heard of it so thankyou for explaining the story,very interesting,cheers👍
Glad you enjoyed it
A great story. And a great lesson on how incidents become legends. As a nipper in the 1960s I was content to know it was a British fighter ace flying a Spitfire that inspired the story, but Melvin's research has enriched the story and you've acquitted an exemplary post script.
That said: Spitfire Bridge has a better ring to it than Tomahawk Bridge, especially for us ;locals.
What a great story, nicely backed up by facts and explanation.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Unbelievable, although a bit reckless....Being local I've heard about the story but wasn't sure if it was just legend-thank-you for the great video!!🙂👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Another interesting one. It's amazing that work still went on to complete the project even though there was a war in progress.
Probably it was a fair way to completion and I also understand from someone who lived in the area it made getting military supplies to the south coast easier.
well according to the daughter of george pickering a spitfire test pilot (killed in 43 in an accident in a bren gun carrier in wales) her father flew under it as well.he was a bit of a maverick and just the sort of thing he would do, according to her.he didn't report it as he would have been reprimanded.the tomahawk may have been first but it would have been naive to think that was the only one.this is mentioned in the book about joe smith who took over from mitchell.
As you say, could well have been more than one occurrence without many people even knowing. Can you imagine these days, there would be multiple smartphone videos relayed around the world within minutes!
The old railway bridge over the Severn at Purton was quite high in order to allow for the large tidal range of the Severn. The (mainly female) pilots who delivered spitfires to airfields in the south west during WW2 flew under the bridge so often that they had to station a policeman on the bridge to report anyone doing so.
Interesting stuff... might do some research on that.
Great way to remember our war heroes. Can just imagine him explaining, well sir on the way back I came across this bridge, just as I was going under it, all was going so good then a bloody lorry got in the way. Lol wonder what the look on his commander face was like.
I only found hearsay details of a court marshal so didn't include it, but imagine there were some repercussions...
Hehe...You had me...I was about to comment 'that's not a Spitfire'....Glad I didn't embarrass myself and watched to the end...Great story...Thanks for making the video
Glad you enjoyed it - that caught a lot of people out, I might do something similar again in the future...
As I used to go under that bridge a lot during the 70s I did wonder what the true story was. The renamed road is actually called Spitfire Link. It's designated as part of the A272 and connects the M3 Winnall roundabout with the A31 to the East.
I think I could get my Cessna under the new bridge quite easily ( wing span approximately same as P40,),but then again I do value my life and license quite a bit more 😮
LOL
Great story, there's a bridge on the A41 in Shrops that someone flew under in, I think, the early 1980s, there's a photo floating around somewhere of it happening
Thanks. Might have a dig around for that.
The pilot survived but I died of boredom with your description of the incident. Good luck with any further posts
Thanks. We can't all be Ant or Dec! :-) Its difficult to find the right balance between not enough info and too much...
I always wondered why that road was so named, and now I know. Thank you.
Happy to help!
But how big was George Rogers’ moustache?
Seriously, well done with this. Kind of tale and detail which features on QI. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
I was stationed at Middle wallop, army air corp and being a car and aviation fanatic went to see the bridge, but never knew the real story.
I can just imagine the conversation back in the station bar that night - " Oh , jolly bad luck old chap , pranged your kite eh ? At least you didn't end up in the drink , any landing you walk away from is a good one - jolly good show "
If you can find it, watch the British series " Piece of Cake" a fictional story from a novel of the same name. There is a scene where the late, great modern day Spitfire pilot Ray Hanna flys a Spitfire at full speed under a rather small bridge. Breathtakingly!
Hi. A very interesting video/story it was mind captivating. I suppose many of the allied pilots got up to alsorts capers maybe to release the stress of flying on ops.
Now check out the Spitfire that really flew under a bridge in the series " Piece of Cake" Next the Hawker Hunter in 1968 that flew through the Tower Bridge
Both of those have got a lot of video's on RUclips already, however I have found some interesting other ones which I may do a video about.
@@oscarsgarage447 I think there was one in 1917 that flew through the Tower Bridge. I had not heard of the one on your video about Spitfire Bridge and the P-40 . As I recall the 1968 by the Hawker Hunter was a " career limiting move" on the pilots part. It seems I have Spitfire Radar , an incredible aircraft. Interesting fact a woman engineer named Beatrice Shilling fixed the carburetor problem twice to improve performance and we Yanks used the Merlin engine in the P51's And the Spitfire name came from I think the designers granddaughter or niece who he called his " little Spitfire". But I digress i really enjoyed the video , Thanks for sharing.
The Hawker Hunter pilot was quietly retired, I think on medical grounds, to avoid a court marshal as he was protesting about cuts to the RAF budget and the powers above wanted as little noise about it as possible.
Yes, did find it interesting, thank you. By the way, for those who are speculating about the look of your P-40 picture, they should be aware that the very first production versions had closer contoured nose air intakes (much more attractive) and they are probably remembering the later models when the intake was almost double in size as well as shorter and stubbier.
Cool, thanks
I lived in Alton for around 45 years from a boy and even in far reaches of Hampshire and beyond it was known as spitfire bridge. Unfortunately the M3 extension has decimated that part of the countryside.
I feel old now cos I remember the bridge and didn't realise it had been demolished.....
Thats friggin brilliant !! Ace or what !
Thanks
I met a guy once that I'd been told had a Spitfire.
Turns out he actually had an Avro Anson but every WWII aircraft is a Spitfire
...and that seems to be the problem!
God damn it . I remember Spitfire Bridge
The old bridge looked spectacular driving north, a really good design.
It was!
Like odd facts and knew of the Spitfire story.....so pleased to know the true story ...so i can bore friends with the proper facts...
Glad to be of service!
I have now, Oscar! Good luck with the next investigation....
Thanks!
We do in fact still refer to the new structure as Spitfire Bridge.
We used it all the time when I was a kid . My dad always told me it was a hurricane 🥲. Thanks for the info 😊
Thanks for watching!
The road is named spitfire link.
Was there a mark left on the bridge? Also where did the edge of the wing go?
You are correct on the road name - I dropped the ball at the end.
Don't know on the other two points - imagine the wing tip ended up as someones trophy!
I was a heartbeat away from stopping the video at 1:12 and typing "that's not a Spitfire, that's a P40 without the large under-nose radiator". Possibly one of the two variants that used the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine.
Thank you for doing the right thing and watching the whole video before unleashing your keyboard...
@@oscarsgarage447 I very rarely unleash my keyboard early, that's how mistakes are made!!
It was known to us kids as 'the egg cup' in the '60s on our route down to see family on the IoW.
Love it!
Perhaps one of the locals could cut back the bush a bit to show the sign?
What happened to the Tomahawk pilot?
I did do some research but afraid I couldn't find out.
Can you imagine how much trouble any pilot attempting such a stunt would get into today. Assuming that he survived the attempt. Pilots can, and do, lose their licenses for all sorts of transgressions far less hazardous than this one. Helicopter pilots can be severely sanctioned if they land with less than a specified amount of reserve fuel in their tanks.
The world, and aviation in general, has changed out of all recognition,
Its Curtis P40, Tomahawk, War hawk, an if ya an Aussie, a Tomorrow Hawk. Used by the Americans, Aussies and the Brits. Bludy good aircraft, thanks Curtis. What happened to the truck?
Nice story , ,but as someone else said the spit in the pic is to large so obviously about to crash into it . .spatial awareness i think its called
The plane in your initial caption is a Curtis P40 Warhawk, not a Spitfire.
So you didn't watch all the video then?
Interesting story and only right that it should be documented for future generations.
Which it is, briefly, in Wikipedia 😉
But doesn't feature my dulcet tones...
@@oscarsgarage447 had i not come across this video i may never have been aware of this and i have been down this way many times and never realised.👍
TY🙏🙏
Our pleasure!
Good story, finish it, what happened to the pilot. did he lose his licence or did he get fine. !!???
Believe me I tried! I did find a very vague third hand account (and I prefer to stick to information I can verify) that suggested he was court marshalled but as pilots were needed the sanction was not too bad.
I’ve heard of Spitfire bridge but never knew the story or when it actually happened.
Happy to help
that is a Kittyhawk, a version of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, supplied to the commonwealth air forces around 1942
If that Kittyhawk had been fitted with a Merlin it would have been a serious piece of equipment.!
I lived in Poole when Spitfire Bridge was pulled down. There was one hell of a fuss about it but... it was a shame that it had to go.
Think there was a big fuss about that M3 extension...
@@oscarsgarage447Wasn't there just! The cheapest and most direct route involved the local golf course losing holes 15 and 16. The most expensive route involved taking a chunk out of St.Catherine's Hill and possibly destroying part of the stone age archeological site there. Four members of the planning committee were also members of that golf club and the most expensive route was chosen. To this day I don't believe that the accusation of bias has been fully laid to rest. I remember being spittingly angry at the vandalism done to St.Catherine's, which is why I've never forgotten the broad outline of the controversy.
Do you live in Charlie Veitch his house? Good story.
Had to google him... still don't get the connection?
I’d prepare a script before your next video if I were you. Makes listening easier
Even today, thanks to the obsession of the Press, every 'plane of that era is either a Spitfire or a Lanc. My wife's family were from Winchester so I knew it was a Tomahawk.
Spitfire Bridge was the name designated to the style of bridge and there are others of this style still in use today. There were other styles of bridge called Hurricane etc. It was "A Spitfire bridge" not "The" Spitfire bridge. untill after the ledgend became popular then locals and eventually wider affield it became known as just Spitfire bridge with out any pronowns.
RAF report "He explained damaged wing by having flown through by-pass brideg at Winshester with minus 3 feet to spare". 😀
Good on him to own up, or perhaps just didn't come up with a better alternative story!
I didn’t fall for the spitfire picture claim because the canopy looked quite wrong. I thought it could have been a hurricane, but that didn’t seem right either.
But you watched to the end to find out which is all I ask...
Anyone remember the tunnel a little bit further on
I remember an RAF fighter flew under the Clifton suspension bridge in Bristol, resulting in a fatal crash for the pilot. Can anyone else remember more details?
I have been doing some research on that for a possible video... hope you have subscribed...!
As truck driver been under that hundreds of times
Yes, I flew under that in my Atkinson Borderer a few time myself.
I admit that the signs are difficult to read, but they clearly say "Spitfire Link" not "Spitfire Way".
You are totally correct. I focussed so much on wing spans, etc, I dropped the ball right at the end...
Do you have the Number of the Spitfire?
Nope, coz it wasn't a Spitfire...
look up Ray hannah he actually did fly a spitfire under a bridge, I knew him a fantastic pilot and a great person
Down the road from me.
I wonder how the boss of the lorry driver accepted that story of the damage and did the pilot get into trouble?
I believe he hit the bridge not the truck. I would imagine the truck drivers undies were a write off though...
Explains why RAF pilots had a thing in the 1980's of flying under bridges ;-)
"minus 3 feet to spare". Classic pilot speak! 🤣🤣
It was definitely a Tomahawk from RAF Odiham.
The graphic 'insert' you showed at 5.50mins is NOT a Spitfire!
There is NO image at 5.50mins
The REAL Spitfire Bridge is in County Durham and is officially called the WINSTON BRIDGE! It was under flown by pilot Ray Hanna! This was in 2018. The footage I believe was used in an episode of the WW2 drama series FOYLE'S WAR.
Ray’s stunt was originally done for the 1988 series “Piece of Cake” and the clip was re-used in FW.
Thanks for that, nice to know.
It's Spitfire Link - not Spitfire Way. It's an interesting story though. Gone under and over that bridge many times.
You are correct, I dropped the ball at the end...
beeing born in winch i know the story, my farther worked in a winch factorry, and thay had a me 109 engine they dug up bilding the factory
Winchester? I live there.
Perhaps it's the WW2 camouflage that made people think it was a Spitfire....The Spitfire has always been the darling of the British...rightly so....Profile wise it doesn't really resemble a Spitfire , a Spitfire is a lot slimmer, besides the laters elliptical wing would be a big giveaway.. On the subject of pilots flying under bridges...The aircraft that flew under the Winston bridge was without a doubt a Spitfire..
Spitfire sounds better than Tommahawk i guess...
Its obvious the photo is fake for another reason.
The pilot made a spontaneous decision so why would there be a photographer present?
I was pampering to the generation that didn't know a world before camera phones...
Oncoming - damned rotten luck..