I am indebted to Colin Barron for providing a DVD of ‘Devil’s Brigade’ at lightning speed for analysis.

There were financial fits and starts with the BoB film in the mid 1960’s but by 1967 aircraft had started to accumulate at RAF Henlow for assessment. These included the Me109G and Ju87 neither of which were destined to be used in the film.

The Spitfires lined up for ‘Devil’s Brigade’ were sourced from these early arrivals.

The first in line is P7350, in from RAF Colerne, but now painted in what I believe was a ‘trial’ of what would become the Spitfire livery adopted for the film. It was displayed in this scheme at the ‘open day’ at Henlow on the Whitsun holiday of 1967. This was prior to the decision to restore this aircraft to airworthy status for the film.

Second in line is K9442 still carrying its RN-V Exhibition Flight codes. This would be an obvious candidate for the film but with delays in filming, this aircraft was to move back to Bicester and be restored and refinished for the Abingdon Royal Review in 1968.

Third in line is BM597 still carrying its Church Fenton Codes PR-O. It arrived at Henlow in February 1967 and departed October 1967 to Pinewood studios, where it was used as the principal mould for all the GRP replicas.

Mark