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Nelson Bomber Command veteran John Beeching got a special surprise when a World War II Rolls Royce Merlin was fired up at his retirement village as part of his 101st birthday.

Beeching had flown the twin-engined Mosquito, one of many Merlin engine-powered aircraft flown by the RAF, as a pilot with 169 Squadron. Part of 100 Group, he flew radar equipped NF versions tasked with hunting Luftwaffe night fighters in the bomber stream.

He told Andy Brew of the Nelson Mail that to hear the roar of the Rolls-Royce built engine again was the “icing on the cake” on what was an “absolutely marvellous” birthday.

“It’s the last thing I would have expected to hear another Merlin, and they even let me press the button to get it started,” he said.

Image: Beeching

Beeching gives the thumbs up to the World War II Merlin engine on his 101st birthday at the Arvida the Wood retirement village in Nelson.
(Credit: MARTIN DE RUYTER / Nelson Mail)

The birthday surprise was the brainchild of group of friends from the Nelson Classic Car Museum which owned the Merlin engine.

Renowned for its exceptional performance and reliability, the Rolls-Royce Merlin was a27-liter, V12 liquid-cooled engine. It produced up to 1,500 horsepower in its later versions and was the beating heart of iconic aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster, contributing significantly to Allied air superiority throughout the war.

Beeching fires up the Merlin engine with the press of a button. Hearing the engines roar again made him feel “very nostalgic” he said.
(Credit: MARTIN DE RUYTER / Nelson Mail)