In the June Flypast on page 15 there are some very nice pewter 1/72 scale models od D Day aircraft by Diverse Images.
One of them is a Spitfire Mk IX marked as OU-V (ML407) as flown on D Day by Johnnie Houlton of 485 (NZ) Sqn. It looks really nice, but the thing is I notice that it carries Johnny’s personal emblem of a pink elephant. This was based on an actual stuffed toy pink elephant he was given (from memory by his mum) as a mascot.
I know that his Mk V in 485 Sqn (also OU-V – for Vicki, later his wife) wore the emblem, and I believe he had previously had it painted on other aircraft that he flew in Malta too. But I have never seen a photo of the pink elephant on ML407. Did the real aircraft actually carry that nose art at any time? I know the aircraft wasn’t in the squadron for that long, and though Johnnie’s personal mount it was used by several others too, so I wonder if the nose art was indeed applied to the Mk IX.
If anyone can produce evidence of the artwork on ML407 I’d be really interested. I made a 1/48th model of his Mk V with the elephant some years ago so was surprised when I saw this pewter model carrying the artwork.
By: von Perthes - 18th May 2004 at 20:44
I spotted the signatures when I was looking at it on the shelf, so when I handed it over to pay for it I was scared that he might flick through it & spot them. As soon as I’d paid for the book, I pointed the signatures out to him. I still visit the shop from time to time & often remind him of his error 😀 Needless to say, he’s a lot more careful about checking for signatures now.
Geoff.
By: Dan Johnson - 18th May 2004 at 18:46
I have a copy of the 1986 edition, but I wont be selling it. I bought it for £5 in a second-hand bookshop. After paying for it, I showed the owner the collection of signatures inside the back cover. He hadn’t seen them & boy was he gutted 😀 Bet he would have charged a good deal more than £5.
Geoff.
Bet that felt good when you found those signatures 🙂
Nice find
Dan
By: von Perthes - 18th May 2004 at 18:38
I have a copy of the 1986 edition, but I wont be selling it. I bought it for £5 in a second-hand bookshop. After paying for it, I showed the owner the collection of signatures inside the back cover. He hadn’t seen them & boy was he gutted 😀 Bet he would have charged a good deal more than £5.
Geoff.
By: Dave Homewood - 18th May 2004 at 09:36
Thanks Mark, I didn’t realise their was an earlier 1986 ediion of the book. It is quite possible that Johnnie himself picked up on the mistake (if it were one) and it was noted for the second edition.
By: Mark12 - 18th May 2004 at 09:27
Pink Elephant
I suspect that the Pink Elephant was never painted on ML407. It is not apparent on any of the period shots of that time.
Significantly it is shown on the artwork side-views of the 1986 edition of Hugh Smallwood’s ‘2nd TAF Spitfire-The Story of Spitfire ML407’ but was removed for the later and more comprehensive 1994 edition.
Mark
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May 18, 2004 at 8:59 am