Ministry of Aircraft Production Plaque

This plaque was presented to the Wolverhampton Express and Star Fighter Fund by the Ministry of Aircraft Production to commemorate the purchase of Spitfire Mk Vb AB917 ‘The Inspirer’ which served with No. 401 Squadron.

Fighter Funds were set up in 1940 with £5,000 needed to purchase a fighter aircraft, which was then named after an individual, business, town or city. They enabled ordinary people to contribute to the war effort and brought communities and Allied counties together. The popularity of Spitfires helped make the schemes a huge success and by 1943 over 1,500 aircraft had been presented to the RAF.