Spitfire at Heathfield coded LO L serial 3047(?), from 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron RAF. The base of the first squadron code letter is just visible below the cockpit door. My Spitfire guru tells me that its actually “Spitfire Mk IIa P8047 LO – L, a Presentation Spit “The Malverns”, which joined 602 Sqdn at Heathfield/Ayr on 11 June 1941. Crashed on test flight at Davidstowe Moor Cornwall on 11 Oct 1944, and written off then SOC“.
click here for the airfield’s history.
location map from Jefford’s “RAF Squadrons”
90 Turnberry
91 Ayr
92 Prestwick
93 Dundonald
and a modern aerial view is here. This link also has photos of the dedication of the Memorial and a WW2 aerial photo of the airfield.
atchistory 
Hi Doug
several of the Naval ATC towers on this site also have the three HF towers in this period
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I didnt know that HMS Wagtail ever existed. Most of the history of Prestwick just talks about the relief landing ground at Heathfield. Where did this picture come from ?
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Hi Doug
have a look at http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/RAFAyr?from=Secrets.HMSWagtail . The photo came from one of our regular contributors who regularly trawls the web and collectors fairs for material.
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Its a great picture and I have a friend who’s family actually farms the ground that became RAF Heathfield and he didn’t know about Wagtail. I also had not seen those HF aerials in the background which is probably the equipment that eventually morphed into RAF Prestwick and more recently the Prestwick ATC Centre
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