Wem Spitfire pilot is a Brave Briton finalist
The last surviving Spitfire pilot from the Second World War Siege of Malta has been named as a Brave Briton finalist.
Squadron Leader Allan Scott's death-defying actions have earned him a place in the Service To Their Country category as global hearing specialist Amplifon searches for unsung heroes.
Mr Scott, 97, formerly of Wem, is still flying Spitfires and recently took to the air to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force.
During his service, he shot down about a dozen enemy fighter planes but managed to survive the war without a single bullet hole in his plane.
He said: "The RAF has been defending Britain for a century. I grew up with the RAF and it’s a part of me. I love flying in my beloved Spitfire. It will always be a beautiful aircraft. When you are in the cockpit you are a perfect fit. You become part of the machine."
He was first posted to Battle of Britain airfield Biggin Hill in 1941 with 124 Squadron before being deployed to Malta where he served with 603 and 1435 Squadrons.
When he returned to Britain he flew a third tour of operations with 122 Squadron, this time in the cockpit of a long-range Mustang fighter.
Mr Scott was then recruited as a test pilot at RAF Shawbury.
Having survived the countless wartime air battles, he suffered horrific injuries when he was flying a Tiger Moth biplane in an aerobatic display in Scotland in 1953.
A structural failure caused the plane to crash and while he lived, he subsequently needed many operations.
During his military career he won the Distinguished Flying Medal and reached the rank of Squadron Leader, flying over 80 types of aircraft.
Up until these last few months when he moved to Oxfordshire to be closer to his son Murray, Mr Scott still flew regularly as a co-pilot from Sleap airfield and plans to return to Biggin Hill for another flight aboard a Spitfire to celebrate his 100th birthday.
Mr Scott, who has written an autobiography called Born to Survive, also features in a new documentary film ‘Spitfire’ which is narrated by Charles Dance.
He has been invited to The Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons finals luncheon at the Army and Navy Club, in Pall Mall, London, on October 16, when Falklands War hero Simon Weston will present the awards.
A panel of judges will choose an Overall Hero Award from the category winners, who will win a trip to Italy.
