Yes this means you Mark12! 🙂
Found this one hiding on e-bay not listed as a Spit so it didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I was curious as to what the story is behind it.
I believe it’s ER726. That’s the only serial that fits in Spit the Hist, saying FTR Ops 1-2-1943.
The back of the photo says Nord Afrika, Tunis 1943. Looks like the pilot would have walked away from it OK but I can’t find anything more on it.
So on the chance it might get connected to the full story, here it is.
By: Spitfire 243 - 12th November 2012 at 17:27
Spitfire photo
Hi Dan,
I have just come across your thread regarding the photo of the force landed spitfire in North Africa.
I have been researching the pilots of 81 Sqn for many years and I am affraid to tell you that the aircraft in the photo does not belong to P/O “Gus” Large RCAF.
Having spoken some years ago to a fellow 81Sqn pilot flying in the same sqn, Gus Large crashed into the sea in an engagement with the enemy on 01/01/43, neither his body or aircraft were found, he is commemorated on the Malta memorial to the missing.
Further enquiries for your aircraft for 01/02/43, from the “Bible” of this conflict, “Fighters over Tunisia”, suggest that your initial observation that the pilot may have walked away may be correct.
On this day the Luftwaffe claimed 8 kills, the RAF however admit to five losses.
81 and 242 Sqn were in action that day, 242 losing 4 aircraft, and 81 sqn, 1.
Three 242 sqn pilots and aircraft were shot down without trace, the pilots, Sgt’s Mallinson, Murray, and Greenshields, are commemorated on the Malta memorial, again suggesting they crashed into the sea, with no bodies being recovered.
Sgt Plummer, of 81 sqn, seems to have met the same fate.
The other loss of this day was Sqn Ldr Secretan, OC 242 Sqn.
He was shot down by two 109’s but managed to force land hi aircraft, his report of this incident states that once he was clear of the a/c the 109’s straffed the wreck.
He was helped back to allied lines by locals.
Your photo doesn’t show much sign of straffing, but it looks like the best explanation for your a/c.
I hope this is of some help to you.
By: Dan Johnson - 13th August 2012 at 04:21
Thanks for that gents. Time to figure out if missing means he didn’t make it back.
🙁 Found it. F/O William Sydney Large, age 26. KIA 1/1/43.
Changes the entire view of the photo now.
By: Mark12 - 12th August 2012 at 07:09
ER726
With SS “”Bluff IV”” to Gibralter.
81.Sqn, shot down by enemy aircraft during ops from Malta.
F/O W.S.LARGE (RCAF) missing 1.1.43 (Mov.card: FB/E, missing 2.1.43)
Information courtesy of Helmut Terbeck.
Mark
Sign In
August 12, 2012 at 5:06 am