Shropshire fighter ace Allan, 94, in Spitfire heaven

The wartime fighter pilot was treated to a trip back to his old airfield at Biggin Hill.

And Allan, from Wem, was taken on a flight where he was allowed to show off his old skills.

Allan was posted to the Battle of Britain airfield of Biggin Hill in 1941 with 124 Squadron before being posted abroad.

Sixty five years after his last Spitfire flight, he said he felt immediately at home.

"It's just like riding a bicycle," he joked. "I fly it by instinct. I get the feel of the aircraft. You fly a Spitfire, as they say, by the seat of your pants.

"In wartime combat I did three tours and I was a test pilot afterwards and flew a few Spitfires then as well."

The emotional flight was arranged at his old air base and in an extra thrill for the Squadron Leader, he was given control of the two-seater aircraft and had the chance once more to enjoy putting it through its paces.

"The pilot was great. He did the take off and landing for insurance purposes, but once it was in the air he handed the aircraft over to me and I flung it about a bit with steep turns, a roll, and so on. I thoroughly enjoyed myself," said Allan, who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for his wartime exploits.

However he did not give it the full works as he once might have done.

"I'm getting old now, and may have forgotten anyway. I did what I could, and enjoyed it.

"I was flying over old country, bringing back old memories, having been stationed at Biggin Hill in 1941. When we got airborne I said to the pilot that I wanted to go to that straight railway line from Ashford in Kent to Redhill that used to be our navigational aid getting back.

"We did – it's still there.

• Watch footage of Allan's flight here

"When we were coming back from the English Channel and had the sun in our back and past the white cliffs we would use this railway line, which runs dead straight, for navigation.

"When we came back to the aerodrome the pilot did a low pass for the photographers. I've never seen so many photographers in all my life. Everybody wanted a photograph.

"It's 65 years since I last flew a Spitfire. It was marvellous. I loved the Spitfire, it was almost a part of me. It handled beautifully and it was a pleasure to get back into the air again. It's just like riding a bicycle.

"In wartime combat I did three tours and I was a test pilot afterwards and flew a few Spitfires then as well."

Normally a single seat fighter, Allan, from Wem, got to fly a special dual control version. He had an extra bonus in that he took down copies of his book, Born To Survive, and got to sign about 100 of them.

"They went like hot cakes," he joked.

Allan was taken to Biggin Hill by Shropshire's Rob Evans.

Rob said: "A Facebook group that I'm part of called 'Spitfire Britain's National Treasure' had arranged a flight in a two seat Spitfire for him.

"He was based at Biggin Hill flying Spitfires during 1940 and 1941 and caught the tail end of the Battle of Britain.

"Straight after he was posted to Malta and took part in the vicious air battles there. He finished the war with 13 kills and several probables. It has been over 70 years since he had set foot back at Biggin Hill."

During the visit they recreated an old wartime picture taken at Biggin Hill.

Rob, an aviation artist, said: "Andrew Perkins of Shrewsbury was one of the main instigators behind getting the flight for Allan. He realised it was the Battle of Malta and also the Battle of Britain anniversary, all coinciding.

"It was organised between him and another chap called Ady Shaw. They have some good contacts at Biggin Hill and managed to arrange it.

"Allan was over the moon. He couldn't stop talking about it. He was both dumbstruck and awestruck that we had gone to so much effort for him. He said 'I didn't do anything, I was doing my job' but as we know we couldn't begin to imagine what he went through, so it was showing our appreciation. He was like a teenager."

Allan was posted to Biggin Hill in 1941 with 124 Squadron, before being sent to Malta, which was under siege with continual raids by the Luftwaffe. He served there with 603 Squadron and then, when that disbanded, with 1435 Squadron at Luqa airfield, before returning to Britain and flying a third tour of operations, switching from his beloved Spitfire to a long-range Mustang fighter. After the finish of this tour he became a test pilot, which brought him to 27 Maintenance Unit, RAF Shawbury, where he met wife Pat.

One hangar at Shawbury to this day has a plaque at "Scott's Corner" after an incident in 1946 when, having taken off in a twin-engined Mosquito, he had an engine problem and only just cleared the hangar.

In recognition of his skill, Allan was awarded a Green Endorsement, the RAF accolade for safely landing in difficult circumstances, and Scott's Corner was born.

A few years later he was not so fortunate and was seriously injured in a crash in a Tiger Moth in Scotland in 1953. It was caused by a mechanical failure.

He flew over 80 different types of aircraft in his career.

It's been quite a year for Allan, who met the Queen again in July – more than 70 years after she gave him a telling off for sneaking out for a cigarette at Buckingham Palace.

He first encountered Her Majesty when she was the 16-year-old Princess Elizabeth and he attended Buckingham Palace to be decorated by King George VI in 1943.

He had gone for a smoke and was spotted by the princess who politely admonished him for not being where he should be.