The newspapers picked it up like this; “British Air Force Gets Combat Plane From Canadian Branch of Janesville Co. The gift of a Spitfire combat airplane to Great Britain’s royal air force from the Parker Fountain Pen Company, Ltd., of Canada and its employees has just been made known by Kenneth Parker, president of the parent concern, The Parker Pen Company, whose main plant is located in Janesville. The gift was made through another subsidiary, The Parker Pen Company, Ltd., of Great Britain, with headquarters in Bush House, Strand, London, which was recently bombed by the Nazis. The gift was accepted in a formal acknowledgment by Lord Beaverbrook, minister of air craft production, addressed to Lord Molesworth, chairman, and A. R. Zoccola, managing director, of the Parker English company. The Spitfire—a single seater—, is essentially a protective or interceptive fighter. While it has a cruising range of only two hours, it is one of the most agile, maneuverable, and terrific fighting planes in the present war. The motor is a Rolls Royce-Merlin, which has 1200 h. p. for take-off, and can maintain top speed for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This speed is 367 mph. at 17,000 feet altitude, and approximately 300 m.p.h. at a lower altitude. This ship carries eight British-made Browning machine guns of .303 calibers for in each wing. (2)”