A WAR veteran was treated to a special flyover of the plane he used to pilot.

Fleet Air Arm veteran Ralph Jameson, aged 98, relived memories as the Navy Wings Seafire XVII flew over his residential care home in Leigh.

Mr Jameson was a naval pilot who flew Barracudas and Fireflies with the British Pacific Fleet during the Second World War and continued to fly after the war with the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), commanding 1842 Squadron.

Dorset Echo: Lt Cdr Ralph Jameson VRD RNVR One of the last surviving Barracuda pilots who flew 28 different aircraft types from the Swordfish to the Vampire and Gannet. Picture: Navy WingsLt Cdr Ralph Jameson VRD RNVR One of the last surviving Barracuda pilots who flew 28 different aircraft types from the Swordfish to the Vampire and Gannet. Picture: Navy Wings

Dorset Echo: Lt Cdr Ralph Jameson VRD RNVR One of the last surviving Barracuda pilots who flew 28 different aircraft types from the Swordfish to the Vampire and Gannet. Picture: Navy WingsLt Cdr Ralph Jameson VRD RNVR One of the last surviving Barracuda pilots who flew 28 different aircraft types from the Swordfish to the Vampire and Gannet. Picture: Navy Wings

He said: "I consider myself very lucky, seeing the Seafire fly over the countryside against a burning blue sky was absolutely magnificent.

"I loved to fly so much that after the war I joined the RNVR at the weekends whilst working as a solicitor."

Mr Jameson flew 28 different aircraft during his service as a pilot for the navy, fighting as part of the British Pacific Fleet aboard HMS Venerable, a colossus-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. He received a rare exemplary assessment not once but twice for his flying.

The Seafire was flown by Bill Dean, a former navy harrier pilot, and was organised by Tom Cunningham of Navy Wings, a charity working to keep historical aircraft in the air.

Mr Jameson added: "Thank you to everyone at the charity Navy Wings for making it happen, especially Tom Cunningham my close neighbour in Sydling St Nicholas for many years, and Bill Dean, the pilot."

Dorset Echo: Lt Cdr Ralph Jameson VRD RNVR One of the last surviving Barracuda pilots who flew 28 different aircraft types from the Swordfish to the Vampire and Gannet. Picture: Navy WingsLt Cdr Ralph Jameson VRD RNVR One of the last surviving Barracuda pilots who flew 28 different aircraft types from the Swordfish to the Vampire and Gannet. Picture: Navy Wings

The aircraft made several passes after taking off from the RNAS Yeovilton.

The Seafire XVII is a modified Spitfire designed to work on aircraft carriers. It had to have a tail hook fitted so it could catch the arrestor gear on a carrier and a strengthened undercarriage to deal with landing on the ship.

Mr Cunningham said: "We recently acquired the Seafire, it is an old navy plane from after the war. It is a beautiful aircraft, and it is great to have one to take around the country and show the history of naval aviation.

"Ralph was unfortunately not well enough to come down and see the aeroplane, but we knew he was very excited about it, so we decided to bring it to him."