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Royal Air Force
"Per Ardua ad Astra" (Through adversity to the stars)
~ Royal Air Force Motto
On September 15, 1940, a significant event occurred during the Battle of Britain, known as Battle of Britain Day. This day marked a decisive turning point in the battle, as the Royal Air Force (RAF) delivered a critical defeat to the German Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe launched a large-scale attack with the aim of overwhelming British defenses, but the RAF responded with fierce resistance, successfully shooting down many German aircraft. The Spitfire, along with the Hurricane, was one of the key fighter aircraft used by the RAF to combat the German Luftwaffe's large-scale attacks. The Red Lichtie Spitfire has a rich history tied to the town of Arbroath, Scotland. During World War II, the people of Arbroath raised £5,000 to fund the construction of a Spitfire as part of the war effort. This aircraft, a Mk Vb Spitfire (EP121), was built at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory and delivered to the RAF on May 24, 1942. It was named "Red Lichtie" in honor of Arbroath’s residents, who are affectionately known as "Red Lichties" due to a local light that once guided fishermen into the harbour. The Red Lichtie Spitfire served with the City of Glasgow’s 602 Squadron. Unfortunately, its operational life was cut short when it was damaged beyond repair on June 26, 1943, after suffering an engine failure during a landing approach, resulting in a crash. The pilot survived the incident, but the aircraft could not be restored. To commemorate both the Spitfire and the 100th anniversary of the RAF in 2018, a special tartan was designed. This tartan incorporates colors symbolizing the Spitfire’s camouflage and the iconic RAF roundel, with a single red stripe representing the Red Lichtie itself. 💚 ❤️ 🤍 💙 💛 🛩️ 🛩️ 🛩️
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!