M.373 *	Flight Captain	Alec John Spiller
	b. 23 Dec 1910, Ilton, Ilminster	10 Apr 1941 to 31 Oct 1945

 In 1936, a Farmer

Royal Aero Club Certificate 14555 dated 15 Oct 1936, taken at Northamptonshire Aero Club on DH.60

Address in 1936: Manor Farm, Keyston, Hunts

 Postings: 6FPP

 3 accidents, 2 his fault:

- 7 Oct 1941, he forgot to lower the flaps of Spitfire AD987 and overshot at Kirkbride

- 17 Aug 1944, during the take-off run in Ventura V JT888, his foot slipped off the rudder pedal and became jammed. The aircraft swung off the runway, ground-looped and was damaged

- 18 Apr 1945, a forced landing in Halifax III LW587 after a propeller feathered in flight, caused by a defective bearing

m. 1955 in Kensington, London, Ursula [Lambert]

"Farmer wins King's Cup

Forty-seven-year-old turkey farmer Alec Spiller won the King's Cup air race at Coventry yesterday in his Proctor plane — the first time he had ever qualified for the race.

Mr. Spiller, ex-ferry pilot from Great Staughton, Huntingdonshire. said: “Racing is just a hobby, I only just scraped in the final 21.”

He uses his plane to deliver turkeys." - Sunday Express, 12 July 1959

The aircraft was Percival Proctor III G-AHFK, which he bought from S Smith and Sons in May 1958, and sold in 1963.

He also finished 3rd in the 1964 King's Cup, and won the 1976 and 1980 races in Cessna 180 G-ASIT.

 m. 1961 in St Neots, Huntingdonshire, Shirley A [Robinson]

 d. 13 Jun 1982 - Cambridge

In 2022, his collection of trophies was auctioned:

"The John Spiller Trophy Collection. A collection of aviation prize trophies, including a miniature trophy by Wakely & Wheeler, London 1912, engraved 'Air League Cup 1962', 7.5cm wide, miniature trophy by James Dixon & Som, Sheffield 1951, engraved 'The Air League Challenge Cup Winner 1964', 11cm high, a miniature trophy by James Wakely & Frank Clarke Wheeler, London 1902, engraved 'Replica of Harmel Trophy', 4.5cm high, a two handle trophy cup by Adie Brothers, Birmingham 1926, engraved 'Bristol Air Race', 15cm high, trophy by William Devonport, Birmingham 1925, engraved 'The Siddeley Challenge Trophy 1952), damaged, 12cm plus seven further silver plated trophies, various forms and sizes, weighable silver 447g

Alec John Spiller (1911-1982) was from Huntingdonshire, he was a talented and very successful member of the Royal Aero Club Air Racing Association. He had a long flying career and won numerous air races including the Kings Cup several times."