Secret Spitfire engineer Norman Parker dies

Norman Parker worked throughout the war repairing crashed Wellington bombers and Spitfires

A World War Two engineer who secretly helped to build Supermarine Spitfires has died at the age of 98.

Norman Parker was known across Salisbury for his work retelling the city's integral role in building planes during the war.

He also worked with the Secret Spitfires charity to bring a life-sized replica of a Spitfire to the city.

Mr Parker is survived by his two daughters.

The replica has gone on permanent display next to the A345 in Wiltshire

Amesbury History Centre, where Mr Parker was a trustee, said in tribute: "It was with great sadness that the trustees of Amesbury History Centre received the news of Norman Parker’s death.

"He had worked throughout the war repairing crashed Wellington bombers and Spitfires.

"After working for the RAF, the Ministry of Defence at Boscombe Down, and Fairey Aviation, he retired from Pains-Wessex, where he was a quality manager.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

"Over the next few weeks we will be paying tribute to Norman at the History Centre."

More than 2,000 Spitfires, around 10% of those built during the war, were built in requisitioned garages and sheds in Salisbury after Southampton's Supermarine factories were bombed in 1940.

Unqualified girls, boys, women, elderly men and a handful of engineers worked on the top-secret operation.