The Star of Stone: A Spitfire Funded by the People of Stone

In 1942, the people of Stone came together to raise £5,000 to fund a Spitfire for the war effort. The fundraising meeting was held at the Star Inn, and the aircraft was subsequently named the Star of Stone in recognition of its community roots.

Almost 85 years later, the story of the Star of Stone is being brought into the National Spitfire Monument in Southampton, thanks to the support of The Star of Stone Spitfire Group, which has sponsored the monument’s Norwegian roundel.

The Star of Stone’s story was not only about the community that helped fund it. Its pilot was Flt. Lt Karl Jacobsen, a Norwegian serving with No. 331 Squadron RAF, a squadron primarily manned by Norwegian aircrew and part of Fighter Command.

Sadly, on 19 June 1942, Flt. Lt Jacobsen was shot down in flames and lost his life in the North Sea.

The Star of Stone Spitfire Group has chosen to sponsor the Norwegian roundel at the National Spitfire Monument to honour both the people of Stone who raised the funds for their Spitfire and Flt. Lt Jacobsen, whose service and sacrifice became part of its story.

A community’s contribution to the Spitfire story

The roundels around the outer ring of the monument’s plinth will represent the Allied nations that flew the Spitfire during its service career, as well as the cities and towns involved in its construction, delivery and maintenance.

The Norwegian roundel will therefore carry a particularly meaningful connection — linking Stone, the Star of Stone Spitfire and Norway in one lasting tribute.

The Star of Stone is a reminder that the Spitfire story was shaped not only by the aircraft’s designers, engineers and pilots, but also by communities across Britain who came together to support the war effort.

We are delighted to welcome The Star of Stone Spitfire Group as a supporter of the National Spitfire Monument and grateful for their role in ensuring that this remarkable story, and the people connected to it, will be remembered for generations to come.