Maybe of interest to Dan Johnson and Mark12

Thanks for that Dan,
I nearly skipped the post, and a very familiar photo it is too. Thanks for the details – makes it a bit more ‘real’ really.

My comment about ‘Covering the Commonwealth’ isn’t a light one – it was a very mixed war, as many remember (and a few forget)

Cheers

I got my set of those photos from the IWM back when I first went Spit XII hunting in the early 80s. I then, during the course of corresponding with former 41 Squadron Spit XII pilots got copies from them.

I keep thinking that this particular copy may have come from one of the Aussies in 41 at the time. Most of the guys logbooks had different photos from that series in them in one form or another if they were with 41 during that time in April 44.

The in flight photos were taken April 12, 1944. Don Smith, piloting EB-B notes in his logbook on that date “Tail chase and stooge for Photographer”

As near as I can tell, the first of those photos were published in the Daily Mirror on April 20, 1944 when the Spit XII was ‘disclosed to the public”. This particular clipping shows up in Don Smith’s logbook and is mentioned in Jimmy Payne’s as well. The series of photos ‘walking around” MB882 EB-B from that same photo shoot turned up in the May 4, 1944 Flight magazine.

I love that particular image as it looks ‘right’ with the Spit XIIs of 41.
“Yank in the RAF” Herb Wagner is in MB843 EB-K way at the back, Canadian, Bill Stowe is in MB862 EB-E, Brit, Ross Harding is in MB794 EB-H and Aussie, Don Smith is in MB882 EB-B. I haven’t had any luck on the others yet.

It has always amazed me how those RAF squadrons operated in those days with so many men from so many different countries.

Dan

Re: RARE?

Originally posted by Mark12
Thanks Daz,

The IWM and several National collections claim copyright to this shot. What is of interest is that if the original photographer truly is sitting on the negatives in Australia just what else might he have locked away.

I am slightly suspicious.

Mark

This is almost certainly an official photograph and so would have been Crown Copyright. The period of copyright on photographs of this period is, according to the excellent leaflet produced by the PRO and the Crown Copyright Officer, fifty years from the end of the year when the photograph was taken. Therefore this ceaed to be a copyright photograph on 1 Jan 1994.

Claiming any sort of copyright on photgraphs like these is a little naughty to say the least.

MH

RARE?

Thanks Daz,

Billed as:-

“This rare photo of a Spitfires from 41sq flying over England around 1943 is 20″x16″ in size and is no2 of a limited number of 25.”

Dan and I had already discussed this a couple of weeks ago when the first billing of this shot came up on ebay. As it is one of the most utilised and well worn shots of WWII, including being used for a jigsaw puzzle, ‘rare’ seems a little OTT for a description. Indeed a shot from this series was my Avatar up until a week or so ago.

The IWM and several National collections claim copyright to this shot. What is of interest is that if the original photographer truly is sitting on the negatives in Australia just what else might he have locked away.

I am slightly suspicious.

Mark