Tiger Force Lancaster

Not many bombers left to poach these days but I do spend some of my time in the company of the best bomber ever built.
According to my information the Tiger Force was to have a Black & White colour scheme.
I have a photo of PA475 taken in 1950 when she was with 82 sqdn at Eastleigh, Kenya and the caption refers to the ex-Bomber Command white & black colour scheme.
I don’t know about squadrons for the TF but Armstrong Whitworth built a batch of 25 MkI FE (TW647-TW671) which were delivered June – July 1945.
There were also some MKVII FE variants built by Austin Motors Ltd.
There were also 2 prototypes fitted with 1200 gal saddle tanks in order to extend the range that would be required by the TF.

tiger force Lancasters

HI Ted, How do you know I don’t look like you? and by Poacher country do you mean bomber county? :confused: :confused: :confused:

You don’t look a bit like me. :p

You’re correct, I read the “s” as a 2.

According to Air Britain’s Lancaster File, PA386 was exhibited in Hyde Park during Battle of Britain Week, which is where this photo was probably taken (they reproduce a similar one). However, they quote the date as 1949, which seems odd as they also list her as SOC in October 1948.

One of the dates must be a typo?

Tiger force

Grounded here, please chaps don’t get me mixed up with groundcrew. 🙂

72 Sqn?

According to Harry Holmes book she started with 72sqdn May 46 then to 214sqdn Dec 46 and was scrapped Oct 48.

72 Sqn flew Spitfires throughout WW2 and were never a Lanc squadron – do you mean 7 Sqn? :confused:

The BBMF Lancaster PA474 was originaly intended for the Tiger Force.
NX611 was delivered to FE standard and went to 38MU. She then became WU-15 of Aeronavale with thw French navy.

I’d guess they were painted white to reduce the temperature in the aircraft during the daytime. I can imagine that a dark painted aircraft would get VERY hot in that part of the world.

Tiger force Lancasters.

Training aircrews for tiger force involved long trips round the British isles for navigational purposes with fighter affiliation and high level practice bombing thrown in, as an A T C cadet I was fortunate enough to fly on some of these sorties with 57 squadron. The aircraft were not painted white, however 3 Lincolns were delivered in august 45 which were white, and I luckily got a trip in one of them. In retrospect I think it was fortunate tiger force were not needed, there is no way you could compare them with the B29. I wonder how many Lancaster squadrons were designated for this project?

I know of one Tiger Force Lancaster that definately survived.

NX611 ‘Just Jane’ at East Kirkby in Lincolnshire. She does taxi runs, but sadly isnt airworthy.

do any of these survive and why where they painted white?

Thats a shame, I was hoping she would be one of the survivors.

Many thanks for your reply.

Regards.

According to Harry Holmes book she started with 72sqdn May 46 then to 214sqdn Dec 46 and was scrapped Oct 48.