Whirlwind fighter identification and nose art query

Peeps

The cartoon character was called ‘Gruffie the Gremlin’ and Bob Beaumont painted it everywhere. His grandson (who occasionally frequents this forum) has a letter to his dad from Bob featuring Gruffie.

The aircraft was probably P7056. Certainly that was as close to a ‘personal aircraft’ as Bob Beaumont got – His Whirlwind ops read:

20-Jul-43 P.7056
03-Aug-43 P.7111
13-Aug-43 P.7056
15-Aug-43 P.7092
17-Aug-43 P.7056
08-Sep-43 P.7056
09-Sep-43 P.7056
18-Sep-43 P.7056

Yes, P7056 was ‘Pride of Yeovil’ when it left the factory, and there is a photo of it with the legend under the cockpit – pre-delivery and no codes. However, don’t forget that it would have been repainted from brown/green to grey/green between being new and 1943. Any inscription would have gone.

That ‘Bellows’ below the cockpit was chalked on. As it happens, 263 got itself named the ‘Bellows Squadron’ and there were a whole bunch of ex-pats in Argentina (the Fellowship of the Bellows) who thought they had funded an entire RAF Whirlwind Squadron (They hadn’t). This didn’t matter until a Gaumont News crew turned up to film something for Argentinian release – all 263 aircraft had to have ‘Bellows’ hurriedly added under the cockpit, which you can see in the footage. This probably accounts for HE-W carrying ‘Bellows’.

I do not know that it WAS P7056, but there’s nothing to indicate that it wasn’t. I have done a lot of research, too long and boring to put here. The reason for this effort being it is currently the intention to put our replica in this very scheme, in honour of Jeff’s granddad and also John McClure, a supporter of the project who flew the same aircraft when with 137.

Do any photos exist of the other chalked on nose art as it would be very interesting to see.
……..,

Hi
I will try to get to my storage stuff, if/when I do, I will PM you, but it could be a while before I can.
cheers
jerry

How do you know they were chalked on? Every reference I’ve ever seen refers to Bob Beaumont’s nose artwork as paintings and they look too well defined to be chalk. Willing to be proved wrong though.
There is picture in Robert Bowater’s book of a 263 Whirlwind with a ‘Golden Lion’ on its nose, a reference to the squadron local in Weymouth.

Hi
I could be wrong
the info was in a 70’s ish letter from a Sqn clerk, that responded to a request for whirlwind info.
cheers
jerry

Chalk would present a very matte finish. I can’t see that in the photo.

Hi Graham
Just to clear up these are chalked on drawings
I must admitt I originally thought they were painted on to 🙂
cheers
jerry

How do you know they were chalked on? Every reference I’ve ever seen refers to Bob Beaumont’s nose artwork as paintings and they look too well defined to be chalk. Willing to be proved wrong though.
There is picture in Robert Bowater’s book of a 263 Whirlwind with a ‘Golden Lion’ on its nose, a reference to the squadron local in Weymouth.

Do any photos exist of the other chalked on nose art as it would be very interesting to see.

The original Bellows was P7055, there was also P7094 Bellows Fellowship and the others ran from P7116 to P7122

Is the implicit suggestion that they had time to paint a squadron insignia but not change the codes? I rather doubt it.

Hi Graham
Just to clear up these are chalked on drawings
I must admitt I originally thought they were painted on to 🙂
cheers
jerry

Hi
It is a 263Sqn a/c, The dispersal identifies it as being at warmwell.
I have in my notes as P7113, but I have seen other serials mentioned.

As to nose art there is also a ‘hitler in a gallows’ drawing, amongst others.

Years ago I initially thought it was ‘condor’ but now know different

Naill maybe along and I am sure he is able to tell the stories of the chalked on characters, i think i heatd it from him first

As to bellows presentation a/c all 263Sqn aircraft dropped the bellows individual naming after a request from the fellowship, so any aircraft photo with just ‘bellows’ is taken after july 1942

previously as to presentation a/c there were :-
bellows argentina I to XII
bellows uruguay I to IV
fellowship of the bellows columbia
Condor I & II
O banderante

from memory the only exception is that two 137Sqn a/c retained their full bellows presentation names, as it seems they were never told of the order to change.

my notes are in storage, all info in them is from pro/na, logs, photos etc … I researched since 1970

cheers
jerry

I see what you mean but P7055 had been damaged and repaired twice before it got to 263 and the full name could have been covered/worn/patched. If you blow the picture up there is a small darker patch after BELLOWS; though I may be clutching at straws there!
I still think it’s the likeliest candidate.
Peter

The issue I have with P7055 is I can see no evidence of a number being painted after BELLOWS

I’m not sure what an implicit suggestion is.
I said perhaps;
i) It was still SF-W or
ii) It had been changed to HE-W

My view is that ii) is the more likely.

‘Westland’s Enigmatic Fighter’ by Niall Corduroy says that P7055 went from 137 to 263 on 24th June 1943.

Peter

Is the implicit suggestion that they had time to paint a squadron insignia but not change the codes? I rather doubt it.

If it was transferred on the 24th of June and the photo was taken during the summer I have a 50/50 chance of getting the squadron code right.

Would you care to make an educated guess on which it is more likely to be?

P7055 went from 137 to 263 in June 1943 so perhaps they had not changed the codes yet when this picture was taken, or the SF had been changed to HE and the W left in place. The chicken is a cartoon Griffin based on 263’s squadron badge

According to Valiant’s Whirlwind book P7055 Bellows wore both the letters S and W whilst with 137 squadon so Beaumont was likely to be just showing off his work as SoGlad has just said.

Thank you for all the help and now it’s just a case of interpreting the chicken.

Of course it may not be his Whirlwind, maybe he was showing off his latest artwork; it would explain the odd pose. The individual code letter is a W and it is a 263 Whirlwind, so there must have been a HE-W though I admit I can’t find a photo of one. The Whirlwind codes for 263 quoted above leave out individual codes that there are pictures of though. I have a copy of Westland’s Enigmatic Fighter by Niall Corduroy in hardback if that’s any help.
Peter

PS I Can’t find any HE-W on 263 Sqn not saying there is not one.. but I have from an old source

Whirlwind Codes 263 Sqn

P7043/A, P7061/A, P6992/C, P7117/E, P7116/F, P6968/H, P6983/H, P6984/H, P7011/H, P6984/J, P6985/J, P6989/J, P7116/J, P6887/L, P7062/L, P7102/N, P6991/R, P6993/S, P7014/T, P7094/T, P6969/V, P6976/X, P6974/Z

Bob Beaumont was in A Flight, he joined 263 in June 1943 and left in May 1944. The picture was taken in the summer of 1943 at the Knighton Wood dispersal pens at Warmwell. Bob crashed at Warmwell on 17th August 1943 in P7096, so this is a good bet for the serial of the aircraft in the picture. (Source: ‘263 and 137 Squadrons, The Whirlwind Years’ by Robert Bowater.)

If he was in A Flight why would be flying “W” as his normal aircraft… Also P7096 (AFAIK) was unnamed

Does anyone have access to

Whirlwind: Westland’s Enigmatic Fighter Paperback by Niall Corduroy ?

P7056 is the aircraft it was painted on.
Ian

Ian I have P7056 as being named “Pride of Yeovil” Paul

Bob Beaumont was in A Flight, he joined 263 in June 1943 and left in May 1944. The picture was taken in the summer of 1943 at the Knighton Wood dispersal pens at Warmwell. Bob crashed at Warmwell on 17th August 1943 in P7096, so this is a good bet for the serial of the aircraft in the picture. (Source: ‘263 and 137 Squadrons, The Whirlwind Years’ by Robert Bowater.)