Members of the 602 Squadron Museum Association attended the Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding Service held in Moffat on 7th of September 2025.
The service featured the unveiling of a bust of Moffat’s most famous son alongside a replica of Spitfire PT 462, a gift to the people of the town from Dr. Hamish MacLeod.
The replica of Spitfire PT 462 has stood in the garden of Dr. Hamish MacLeod’s house in Moffat since 2009. He commissioned it – and painstakingly assembled it – after flying the real PT 462 while in Florida on a night flying and instrument rating refresher course, having learned to fly as a RAF Volunteer Reserve pilot with the Edinburgh University Air Squadron between 1958 and 1961.
After Dr. MacLeod decided to gift the aircraft to the people of Moffat, the idea was born to install it in the grounds of Dowding House, formerly St. Ninian’s Preparatory School for Boys, the birthplace and childhood home of Lord Dowding, who was to play such a pivotal role in the RAF’s victory in the Battle of Britain. The owners of the house, the Royal Airforces Association has kindly supported the project.
Alongside the replica aircraft is a bronze bust of the great man, sculpted by Faith Winter. The aircraft and bust are intended to be a tribute to Lord Dowding, Air Officer Commanding-In-Chief of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, from his ‘Fighter Boys’.