Spitfire replica removed from KW Surplus rooftop, donated to aviation association in Tillsonburg

A Second World War Spitfire replica has been removed from a Kitchener rooftop and donated to an aviation group for a new military memorial garden.

A full-size model of a Second World War Spitfire fighter that has sat atop the KW Surplus Store for nearly three decades was officially removed Monday and will be relocated to a new home.

The aircraft replica has been perched on the roof of the store at 666 Victoria St. N. since 1997. Owner Ray Whittemore, who recently sold the business, is donating the model to the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA), where he is an active member.

The association, based at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport, plans to incorporate the Spitfire into a newly designed Memorial Garden on airport grounds. The display will feature the aircraft mounted on a pedestal as part of a tribute to the Canadian Armed Forces, Royal Canadian Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

The garden will also honour two former CHAA presidents: Second World War RCAF Flight Lieutenant Charley Fox, a decorated Spitfire pilot, and Canadian astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason.

Following its arrival, the replica will be inspected, repaired and repainted to reflect the colours flown by Fox during the war.

The project will include commemorative elements recognizing the airport’s role as a wartime training base, along with benches and engraved bricks funded by donors. The association is currently fundraising to cover costs related to the aircraft’s removal, restoration and installation, as well as construction of the memorial site.

A tank built to the design of a Second World War model is up for sale, which is also displayed outside the store.