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Spitfire roundel query

I have the film Eagle Squadron on DVD. The film was released in 1941.

While its flying sequences aren’t bad, and the storyline fairly forgettable, there was one thing I happened to notice earlier while trying to watch it on my laptop.

In one scene, groundcrews are seen rearming and refuelling 71 Squadron’s Spitfires, and one of them is seen attending to the starboard outer Browning .303 machine-gun of a Spitfire.

So what?

So the roundel is a later type, seen on Spitfires much later in the war than the year the film was released.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]245674[/ATTACH]

Anyone have any ideas?

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By: snafu - 3rd May 2016 at 22:38

They weren’t in use on top of the wing until 1945 – they were introduced earlier. It wouldn’t be a big mistake to put one in the wrong place.

Witness the Anson with its serial on the upper surface (I say witness, but I can’t actually find the image again… If anyone else knows where it is, feel free).

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By: DazDaMan - 3rd May 2016 at 21:47

In 1941?

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By: Graham Boak - 3rd May 2016 at 21:08

They weren’t in use on top of the wing until 1945 – they were introduced earlier. It wouldn’t be a big mistake to put one in the wrong place.

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By: DazDaMan - 3rd May 2016 at 20:45

But those types of roundels weren’t in use until 1945.

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By: antoni - 3rd May 2016 at 19:00

The film was released in the middle of 1942.

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By: bensummerfield - 3rd May 2016 at 17:33

Here’s a pic I found on google images of a 131squadron Spit with an odd fin flash and Fuselage roundel. Probably the Americans trying to distinguish themselves from other RAF squadrons?

Precursor to the later Star markings?

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c25/bensummerfield/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-06/3F19A684-A486-442A-BB23-57BE5B931A9C_zpsabftacr4.jpg

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