Wreck of Gloster Gladiator Mk II N5628

The Gloster Gladiator was the RAF's last biplane fighter and the first to feature an enclosed cockpit for the pilot. Deliveries began in 1937, with Gladiators continuing to serve in the early years of the Second World War. However, it had been rendered almost obsolete by newer monoplane designs such as the Hurricane even as it was being introduced. Though often pitted against more formidable foes during the early days of the Second World War, it performed reasonably well in combat.

This Gladiator was part of No. 263 Squadron when they were sent to Norway in April 1940 to defend the country after Germany's invasion. N5628 took off from the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious for a base that had been established on the frozen surface of Lake Lesjaskog after the RAF had seen the Norwegian Air Force operating from other frozen lakes. The Germans held all the established airfields in the country. But it was a poor choice. German bombers soon located the squadron and attacked. Most of the aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and the ice runway was cracked. The squadron abandoned the base on 28 April 1940, and N5628 sank through the melting ice soon after. The wreckage was recovered in 1970, and went on display at the Museum in 1972. The wreck has been treated with a chemical to prevent further corrosion, but apart from that is otherwise as it was found.