Wigan and District Spitfire Presentation Plaque

Wigan and District Spitfire Presentation Plaque

The Wigan and District Spitfire Presentation plaque is available to view in the Wigan at War display. This plaque was received on 3 March 1941 from the Ministry of Aircraft Production in recognition of the effort of the Wigan citizens to raise £6000 for the purchase of a spitfire.

On the 20 July 1940, the Wigan Victory Fund was created at a meeting in the Victoria Hotel on Wallgate. After studying the various aeroplane costs (Hurricane - £4,500, Spitfire - £6,000, Blenheim - £17,000, Wellington - £25,000, Sunderland - £50,000) the town decided on the target fund of £6000.

Initially, the Wigan Spitfire Fund found it difficult to acquire donations for the cause. However, after the first list of donations was published in the Wigan Observer, their luck changed for the better. A local industrialist, by the name of Alfred Lees agreed to donate £100.

The publication of this amount in the second list caught the public’s eye and the donations became bigger and more frequent.

A list of memorable milestones in the campaign are illustrated in the following list:

23 July 1940 - £200 raised.

27 July 1940 - £1,000 raised.

24 August 1940 - £5,000 raised. The fund was also acknowledged by the Ministry of Aircraft Production and a decision made to name the spitfire 'Wigan and District'.

07 September 1940 - Over £7,000 raised.

28 September 1940 - £7600 raised after a donation from Canada

05 October 1940 - £7,700 raised after a donation from America

08 October 1940 - Cheque sent for over £7,821 to the Ministry of Aircraft Production.

29 October 1940 – Letter of thanks received from Lord Beaverbrook.

As this list shows, the committee didn’t just receive donations from Wiganers but from allies all around the world. Often school children would donate their pocket money and businessmen would give large donations to the cause.

The Wigan Victory Fund Committee, who organised the appeal, received the commemorative plaque from the Ministry of Aircraft Production on the 3 March 1941.

The plaque was presented to the Wigan Public Library for preservation.

Sources:

The Story of the “Wigan and District” Presentation Spitfire by Mark Gaskell