Hurricane Pilot Photo on E-Bay….

Just had a PM from someone who bought a copy of your photo, Tim, from this same vendor. He asked the vendor who the pilot was – but he didn’t know! However, he said the photo was snapped by his grand-father when “…he was serving with Stanford Tuck”….so he “…must be 257 Squadron!”

Bet you don’t recall that particular part of your RAF service, do you Tim?

Thanks a lot, Steve.

Interesting. Not a pic I’ve seen before. Not SD or ASR Lizzie, but Army Co-op, and it’s not an SD equipment item* (the SD Lizzies didn’t have the stub-wings or racks) and it’s not a normal dinghy container.*

Looks like a normal stores-dropping type unit, although smaller than others I’ve seen (as used for the Wellbike etc.) Looks like someone’s messing about with the ‘chute! If it is a stores container, I wonder when they were introduced? I think they’re a wartime-developed piece of kit, which would rule out Calais’ Relief, and they were a bit busy for happy snaps. A guess would be 1940 exercises with the army developing new tactics after the May 1940 debacle.

It’s a Mk.II (Perseus) with the pick-up hook fitted. The narrow stroke ‘X’ is unusual (from memory) as is the (possible) band on the rear fuselage.

Cheers,

*There are, of course exceptions!

Can’t find it – link please?

This any good? Used the ended items search.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WW2-Photograph-BRITISH-SOE-LYSANDER-RARE_W0QQitemZ270380247474QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Militaria_LE?hash=item270380247474&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A13|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

I’m not convinced that its an ASR Lizzie now, one of the chaps looks remarkably like a squaddie.

Best wishes
Steve P

“A new print taken from an original in a private family collection begun in the 194s.”

‘The 194’s – Perhaps a room, house number or even a computer folder reference number? 😉

Mark

I cannot find it now, James.

Either sold or ended….but another copy will be there soon!

Found this whilst looking:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WW2-Photograph-Battle-of-Britain-Pilot-RARE_W0QQitemZ270383629517QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Militaria_LE?hash=item270383629517&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A8|294%3A50

This is Sgt Eddie Egan of 501 Squadron. I know for SURE this was a private snap and the possibility that this was in another “private family album” from a collection begun in the 1940’s is somewhere less than zero.

There’s a nice shot of a SOE Lysander presumably about to transport a dingy to France. The shot of French resistance fighters in Paris has appeared in countless books.

Can’t find it – link please?

Ah yes ‘Studio548’, the one blot on my unblemished 674 feedback.

I purchased a ‘Spitfire fund’ image item from him in his early days. It turned out to be a very low quality and heavily pixallated computer print. The P & P was outrageous and clearly where the profit was intended to be generated.

I, reasonably in my view, pointed out these shortcomings with a neutral feedback.

He responded with an equally neutral ‘snottogram’. 🙁

Mark

Can I offer another possibility? And this is as someone who doesn’t do Ebay 🙂

When I was chasing Spit XIIs and tracking down former pilots etc during the 1980s, I found that many of them had prints of the well known series of XII photos taken in April 44. The photos they had were nicely weathered and aged and without any “Crown Copyright” or any other notations on the back. And they were often times smaller images, that appeared in their ‘scrapbook, photo albums”.

Is that a possible explaination?

Certainly it is the case that multiples of some of the “official” prints were circulated widely. I am not convinced that this is the case here, though.

Sorry Steve….I missed your wry humour. Doh! Mind you…perhaps the dinghy for SOE operatives in France was just in case the Lysander didn’t come back to pick them up? Only a short paddle across the Channel! 😀

If it has a Dinghy with it, surely SAR rather than SOE?

Thats the point that I was trying to make.

Best wishes
Steve P

This has recently cropped up on e-bay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WW2-Photograph-Battle-of-Britain-Pilot_W0QQitemZ270380719321QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Militaria_LE?hash=item270380719321&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1684|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A3|294%3A50

The photo is of Tim Elkington, Battle of Britain pilot, and member of this forum.

The photo is claimed to be from an amateur snap in the vendors private collection. Not so. In fact, the photo was an official Air Ministry staged photo. An original appears in Mr Elkington’s family album and not, I suspect, in the vendors!

Another e-bay scam? Oooops. Typo. I meant scan, of course! 😉

Can I offer another possibility? And this is as someone who doesn’t do Ebay 🙂

When I was chasing Spit XIIs and tracking down former pilots etc during the 1980s, I found that many of them had prints of the well known series of XII photos taken in April 44. The photos they had were nicely weathered and aged and without any “Crown Copyright” or any other notations on the back. And they were often times smaller images, that appeared in their ‘scrapbook, photo albums”.

Is that a possible explaination?

Good point….! 🙂

I have seen the photo elsewhere captioned as having a “supply cannister” though.

I will go back into e-bay and have another peek.

If it has a Dinghy with it, surely SAR rather than SOE?

Not an SOE Lysander, methinks! Rather, an Army Co-Op one. As for the “French resistance member setting off on a mission…..” Well…..probably not.

There’s a nice shot of a SOE Lysander presumably about to transport a dingy to France. The shot of French resistance fighters in Paris has appeared in countless books.

Best wishes
Steve P