The Spitfire "Shetlander"

It is August 1940 and the Battle of Britain is at its height. The country desperately needs both planes and pilots and the little island community of Shetland decides to raise £5000 to buy a Spitfire to be called “The Shetlander”. This is the story, as reported week by week in the Shetland News, of the enormous fund raising effort made by everyone in the islands, from young to old and from rich to poor. It is also the story of a remarkable young American airman who eventually piloted “The Shetlander” and paid the ultimate price for his valour in the skies above the English Channel.