chocco boxo Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 With the Spitfire flypast yesterday, made me think of the old Spitfire bridge.(Winchester) Did one really fly under it? Used to remember Saints fans on there when we took a good away following as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31cc Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 Almost true, I believe it was a locally based RAF P-40, which subsequently landed with one wing a couple of feet shorter than the other! Probably looked like this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31cc Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 Or not, can't post images... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilsburydoughboy Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 I do not think it was a Spitfire that flew under the bridge but saw the Spitfire yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 Spitfire Bridge From Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki Jump to: navigation, search Spitfire Bridge No pictures uploaded (Upload?) On road :A31 Open Date :c.1939 The Spitfire Bridge carried the A31 (now B3404) Alresford Road over the A33 Winchester Bypass. It was constructed in the immediate prewar period, and opened in 1940 with the rest of the bypass. It was a concrete parabolic arch bridge. In 1941 a Curtiss Tomahawk flown by George Rogers flew beneath the bridge, but had to take evasive action after meeting an oncoming HGV. The pilot clipped the bridge and lost 3ft of his plane to it, causing him to later crash while landing. He walked away with only minor injuries. The story soon spread through the local area, but it wasn't clear what plane it was. It was generally assumed that only a Spitfire would attempt to do such a thing, so the name 'Spitfire Bridge' stuck. In 1983 the bridge was demolished as part of the upgrading of the Winchester Bypass to M3, being replaced by an unimpressive single-span concrete bridge. The cutting it crossed was widened to house the motorway and parallel A272, which was named 'Spitfire Link' in its honour. The junction of Spitfire Link and the modern A31 is known as 'Spitfire Roundabout'. It wasn't until 1988 when it was accepted that the plane involved wasn't a Spitfire, but by this time the names had stuck. Courtesy of http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Spitfire_Bridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dune Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 My old man always called it Spitfire Bridge and he was born in 1931 and worked on the farms outside of Wichester just after the war. Not sure if the story is true though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergei Gotsmanov Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 My old man always called it Spitfire Bridge and he was born in 1931 and worked on the farms outside of Wichester just after the war. Not sure if the story is true though. The story is true. My brother met a Canadian who said it was his Grandfather who did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_saint Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 Just watched the footage of yesterday's flypast on the echo site. F**k me, the sound of a Merlin still leaves me with goosebumps and wet eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastcowzer Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 Spitfire Bridge From Roader's Digest: The SABRE Wiki Jump to: navigation, search Spitfire Bridge No pictures uploaded (Upload?) On road :A31 Open Date :c.1939 The Spitfire Bridge carried the A31 (now B3404) Alresford Road over the A33 Winchester Bypass. It was constructed in the immediate prewar period, and opened in 1940 with the rest of the bypass. It was a concrete parabolic arch bridge. In 1941 a Curtiss Tomahawk flown by George Rogers flew beneath the bridge, but had to take evasive action after meeting an oncoming HGV. The pilot clipped the bridge and lost 3ft of his plane to it, causing him to later crash while landing. He walked away with only minor injuries. The story soon spread through the local area, but it wasn't clear what plane it was. It was generally assumed that only a Spitfire would attempt to do such a thing, so the name 'Spitfire Bridge' stuck. In 1983 the bridge was demolished as part of the upgrading of the Winchester Bypass to M3, being replaced by an unimpressive single-span concrete bridge. The cutting it crossed was widened to house the motorway and parallel A272, which was named 'Spitfire Link' in its honour. The junction of Spitfire Link and the modern A31 is known as 'Spitfire Roundabout'. It wasn't until 1988 when it was accepted that the plane involved wasn't a Spitfire, but by this time the names had stuck. Courtesy of http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Spitfire_Bridge Any dimensions of the bridge available, i.e. width and height of arch over the road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonManager Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 We used to gob on the passing traffic from the bridge when we was kids and didn't know no better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 6 March, 2011 Share Posted 6 March, 2011 Any dimensions of the bridge available, i.e. width and height of arch over the road I wouldn't know - I just googled 'Spitfire Bridge' and that was the most informative link that came up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 7 March, 2011 Share Posted 7 March, 2011 Just watched the footage of yesterday's flypast on the echo site. F**k me, the sound of a Merlin still leaves me with goosebumps and wet eyes. There's not a sound in the world to beat it. I was in a small boat in the Solent for the D-Day 50th celebrations and when the Battle of Britain flight flew over together with a P51 and others I nearly fell over the side with excitement. I also remember the 50th anniversary of the first flight. I was driving east on the M27 and I was just coming down the hill after Chilworth when a group of spitfires - 7 or 9 of them - flew over in line astern from the north and swung left to land at Eastleigh. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redondo Saint Posted 7 March, 2011 Share Posted 7 March, 2011 just watched the footage of yesterday's flypast on the echo site. F**k me, the sound of a merlin still leaves me with goosebumps and wet eyes. ditto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai_phil Posted 7 March, 2011 Share Posted 7 March, 2011 Just watched the footage of yesterday's flypast on the echo site. F**k me, the sound of a Merlin still leaves me with goosebumps and wet eyes. Just watched Pearl Harbour 2001 for the first time with the GF the Spitfire action scenes were very good.... But it reminded me of a moment many years ago when I was in my garden cutting the lawn and I heard THAT sound.... looked up to see an ME109 hurtle over the house followed about 2 seconds later by a Spitfire. They were landing at Old Sarum. I leapt in the car and there they were, turns out that the ME109 was a rebuild but they couldn't find the orignal engine so had found a Merlin and put it in. 20+ years ago and it was a summer evening that even to this day I can remember every time I hear that sound. On a related point I was at Middle Wallop for the 50th anniversary, they had a flypast that day and something like 5 or 6 Spitfires including the two seater (made in Salisbury) Damn something I REALLY miss from home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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