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Royal Air Force
"Per Ardua ad Astra" (Through adversity to the stars)
~ Royal Air Force Motto
This tartan was created to honour the Spitfire—especially Red Lichtie Spitfire EP121, funded by the people of Arbroath through their £5,000 “Spitfire Fund.” Built at Castle Bromwich and delivered on 24 May 1942, it was named after the townsfolk, known as “Red Lichties.”
Registered in 2018–2019 to mark the RAF’s centenary, the tartan reflects the aircraft with green and grey for camouflage, red/white/blue/yellow for the RAF roundel and tail markings, and a single red stripe paying tribute to Red Lichtie, whose service ended on 26 June 1943 when one crashed after engine failure on approach—the pilot survived.
The people of Arbroath are affectionately known as “Red Lichties,” a nickname drawn from the red light—“the Red Lichtie”—that once shone from the harbour and abbey to guide local fishermen safely home. Though the Red Lichte entered service after the Battle of Britain, it stood as a powerful symbol of Arbroath’s sacrifice and contribution to the wider RAF war effort.
On September 15, 1940, Battle of Britain Day itself became a turning point in the struggle for the skies. That morning, the Luftwaffe launched a massive assault designed to crush British defenses. The Royal Air Force (RAF), however, fought back with extraordinary determination. Central to that victory were the Spitfire and the Hurricane, two iconic fighters whose speed and resilience came to embody the spirit of defiance.❤️ 💚 🤍 💙 💛 🛩️ 🛩️ 🛩️
The distinctive round window high in the ruins of the south transept of Arbroath Abbey was originally lit up at night as a beacon to guide the fishermen in to harbour. It is known locally as the ‘Round O’, and from this tradition, inhabitants of Arbroath are colloquially known as ‘Reid Lichties.'
During WWII The people of Arbroath started a ‘Spitfire Fund’ to raise £5,000 and purchase a Spitfire to help with the war effort.
They succeededand a MkVb Spitfire EP121 was built at Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory and delivered on the 24th May 1942, to the RAF at Burtonwood and named the ‘Red Lichtie’ after the people of Arbroath who purchased it.
This tartan by Stephen Patrick Sim embeds the tartan’s creation date and registration date to commemorate the 100th anniversary year of the RAF, 1st April 2018 to 1st April 2019, and in so doing also recognises the iconic fighter plane and its key role in winning the Battle of Britain.
Colours and geometry: the tartan’s asymmetric design of green and grey represents the spitfire’s camouflage; the red, white, blue and yellow stripes form a representation of the historic RAF roundel and the tail liveries on the aircraft. The single red stripe in the tartan becomes a mark of respect for the ‘Red Lichtie’, which ended its service on the 26th June 1943 suffering from an engine cut on approach causing it to stall and crash. The pilot survived.
For more about the Red Lichtie, click the the plane!