RAF celebrations London: Heroes honour the Spitfire at RAF 100th anniversary documentary

The new documentary Spitfire, which tells the story of the fighter plane from the accounts of the last serving veterans who flew them premiered last night, as Britain celebrates the 100th anniversary of the RAF.

Ahead of today’s flyover, Express.co.uk will be bringing you all the best bits from the carpet, from Carol Vorderman to Nick Mason of Pink Floyd to the very men and women who flew the Spitfires and helped lead the allies to victory during World War II.

The host for last night’s premiere was none other than Carol Vorderman – and while many know her as a British icon from Countdown, she is also a huge supporter of the RAF.

“I wanted to join the royal air force as a young girl, as a pilot, but the RAF didn’t take girls as pilots back then,” Vorderman said.

Vorderman has been a supporter of Veteran’s charities for decades.

“Four years ago I was asked by the chief of air staff to become the first female ambassador as an honorary group captain in the RAF,” she said.

“I’m an ambassador for the air cadets, both my children were cadets. I absolutely love it.”

Alongside contemporary supporters of the RAF were the veterans themselves.

Allan Scott, who featured in Spitfire, walked down the carpet with aid of a walking stick and spoke clearly and eloquently of his time in the war.

When asked about being approached to speak in the documentary, Scott said he was excited. “And honoured really because I never thought anything of it. It was a job to do.

“It wasn’t hard for me to tell my story, I love talking and explaining and telling them things they didn’t know about the Spitfire.

“The youngsters should know about it, you never know. All these youngsters may be called up.”

Like Scott, Joan Fanshawe didn’t think of herself as anyone particularly heroic, she simply had a job to do.

“I was a plotter. I was a WAF, aged 20 when I joined up in 1940 and of course, Battle of Britain was just about to be starting, so I joined up just at the time that it was really busy,” Fanshawe said.

“Without the downing system, which is what I belonged to, we would never have been able to know where the German aircraft were.

“There were a lot of male plotters when we first went there, and as we arrived so they went off to fight.

“As far as we were concerned, we were way in the background but we were essential just the same.”

She doesn’t see herself as a pioneer, though she clearly was, but as part of a team of women simply doing what they needed to do.

Her advice for younger generations? “Don’t ever go to war. Don’t go to war.”

Another attendee for the evening was Nick Mason, the drummer of Pink Floyd, known for his car collection and musical prowess.

“In terms of heritage branding, you can’t get better than the Spitfire,” Mason, a keen supporter of all things military, said on the carpet.

“Everyone knows exactly what it stands for, what it means, and its values.”

The Spitfire represent freedom, strength in the face of adversity, and resilience despite the odds.

And yet, for all its Britishness, co-director David Fairhead wanted to be sure the efforts of other nations involved were recognised.

The documentary featured, alongside Veterans like Allan Scott and Joan Fanshawe, a Polish pilot who came and joined the RAF.

Even the end of the movie made sure not to let the message be ignored, and gives its thanks to the pilots of all nations who fought to defeat fascism in World War II.

And the Spitfire is truly a global icon.

“Worldwide I think it’s as significant to the rest of the world as it is to the UK,” Fairchild said.

“In a world where increasingly people are becoming more nationalistic, we’re failing to look at the bigger picture.

“It took a huge team to defeat the Nazis and that team included RAF pilots but also fighter pilots from overseas.

“Many people came here from the commonwealth, from the conquered countries, it was a team effort and not just, as a lot of people think, plucky Britain on its own.

“It took a worldwide effort to defeat that menace and perhaps people need to think about that now.”

As the RAF celebrates its 100th anniversary, it seems wise to take in the words of veterans like Scott and Fanshawe, and also to remember the values the Spitfire stands for – teamwork, freedom, camaraderie across the world in the face of something monstrous.

Spitfire’s one-night screening on July 17 will feature premiere footage and be screened across 194 sites including RAF bases.

Spitfire is on general release July 20, 208.