20 June 2025Fieseler Fi 156C-7 Storch @ Kent Battle of Britain Museum
Ladies and Gentlemen, the proud Trustees and Volunteers at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust a Registered Charity, are very excited and proud to announce their latest acquisition of a Fieseler Fi 156C-7 Storch to the ever-expanding collection of airframes.
For many years the Museum’s Chairman, Dave Brocklehurst MBE, has been searching for several key airframes to add to the Collection and to depict critical aircraft flown during the Battle of Britain including those that would have been seen over Great Britain had Operation Sea Lion taken place. In 2015 (the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain) we were very fortunate to acquire the beautiful replica of a Boulton Paul Defiant, in December 2017 the substantial remains of a Bristol Blenheim MK. IV (based on a Canadian built Bolingbroke), in September 2019 a Heinkel He 111H-16, a C.A.S.A. 352L (Junkers Ju 52/3M) in November 2022, and now in June 2025 an original Fieseler Fi 156C-7 Storch.
The Fieseler Fi 156C-7 has been acquired from our good friends at the RAF Museum where it has been on display at their RAF Museum Midlands Site at Cosford since April 1989.
This airframe was put up for transfer by the RAF Museum in early 2025 and after a bidding process and due diligence, the Volunteers are very pleased and proud to announce that we came up with the successful bid for this airframe.
The Museum, working closely with staff from the RAF Museum and GJD Services Ltd, are in the latter stages of arranging the relocation of the Fieseler Storch to its new home and she should arrive at Hawkinge on Thursday 26th June 2025.
Dave Brocklehurst said: ‘We are extremely pleased and excited to have acquired this rare and important airframe, which was built by Mraz, at Chocen, Czechoslovakia in 1944. It was one of three Fi 156s that were surrendered at Flensbury, Germany, part of the British Occupation Zone, in May 1945. She took part on the Battle of Britain Open Day at RAF Hendon in September 1945 and was demonstrated by the one and only Lt/Cmdr. Eric M. ‘Winkle’ Brown, who was a good friend and supporter of the museum. During the winter close 2025/2026 she will undergo a full strip, renovation and repaint as one of our main winter projects. We are still considering what colour scheme she will carry for 2026 but it will either depict the personal aircraft of Generalfieldmarschall Albert Kesselring, the commander of Luftflotte 2 in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain or a Staffel hack from Jagdgeschwader 26’.
Maggie Appleton, CEO RAF Museum: “We are delighted to see the Fieseler Fi 156C-7 Storch find a new home at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum Trust, where it will continue to be valued and shared with the public. This aircraft has been part of the RAF Museum’s collection for many years, and we’re proud to support its transfer to an institution so dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of the Battle of Britain. Our thanks go to Dave Brocklehurst MBE and his team for their collaboration, and we look forward to seeing the Storch on display in its new setting."
