No 1 Squadron – Arthur Clowes & his WASP

My grandfather was a pilot alongside Arthur Clowes in Squadron 1 and i’ve recently been looking over the log book at the number of time he flew the same Hurricane. His name was Peter Matthews. He was also a keen rugby player and he played on the wing for the Wasps rugby club, though he did not make the 1st XV until the 1944-45 season. I have often wondered if perhaps that might have had some influence on Arthur Clowes choosing a wasp for his motif. I do have them taking pleasure flights in a Miles Magister and my mother recalls Peter mentioning him on several occasions. No mention sadly though as to whether the stripes were in fact representative of kills but the fact that the wasp gets more stripes added to it over time i think it’s a pretty good assumption. Why would anyone paint more stripes to a wasp motif?

No battle!!

Just a point of interest.

= Tim

No battle!!

Just a point of interest.

= Tim

OregonOz, if you want to win this one, you will need to post all the evidence and convince Tim. He has an advantage over you, unless there’s something you’re not telling us…

Adrian

OregonOz, if you want to win this one, you will need to post all the evidence and convince Tim. He has an advantage over you, unless there’s something you’re not telling us…

Adrian

I’m sorry -I don’t see it.

1. Arthur actually had NINE confirmed – plus 2 shared.

2. OK – you could say that there are 9 black stripes on the Starboard side, but I only see 7 on the Port.

3. Where could any further kills (after October 1940) have been registered – not much room left?

= Tim

PS What is the War Office info?

PPS This was written before the last post.

I’m sorry -I don’t see it.

1. Arthur actually had NINE confirmed – plus 2 shared.

2. OK – you could say that there are 9 black stripes on the Starboard side, but I only see 7 on the Port.

3. Where could any further kills (after October 1940) have been registered – not much room left?

= Tim

PS What is the War Office info?

PPS This was written before the last post.

Unless there’s a letter somewhere saying; “I’m Arthur Clowes and my wasp stripes are kill marks,” its just as likely a coincidence.

Unless there’s a letter somewhere saying; “I’m Arthur Clowes and my wasp stripes are kill marks,” its just as likely a coincidence.

Neither am I, no real evidence to support it?

Peter

Actaully plenty of evidence to support it, in the hands of his relatives, and at the War Office – 13 stripes on the Wasp and 13 Kills – confirmed.

Neither am I, no real evidence to support it?

Peter

Actaully plenty of evidence to support it, in the hands of his relatives, and at the War Office – 13 stripes on the Wasp and 13 Kills – confirmed.

Yes – both sides. But I’m not a believer in the scorecard idea.

= Tim

It is the lack of research and the general knowledge that anything multiple engines is a Lanc and single engine has to be a Spitfire, regardless of what it actually is, hence the reference to the Hurricane as a Spitfire an ignorance displayed in the research.

Dave, the wasp is on both sides, incidentally the stripes on the wasp are supposed to represent each enemy a/c downed.

Airfix got it right 30+ years ago (Although I always wondered if the wasp was on both sides of the nose as they depicted)