One of the members of the Unofficial Airfix Modelers forum to which I also belong is looking for any details of the colour and insignia schemes of RAF aircraft in WWII used as ‘aggressor planes’ in Exercise Scorch. I must admit I’d never heard of it and all I could Google was something about No 4 Sqn being involved with Lysanders.
His message from our forum (which I hope he won’t mind my reproducing here):
Hi guys
As I told you I have started to I have started to read about the Hawker Hurricane because our next project (sub collection) will deal with this aircraft.
A friend of my sent me a very interesting article from the magazine Aircraft Ilustrated (June 1972). The name is Port Underwing, Night, Phase IV, 1941-1945 by Ian Huntley and deal with the exercise “SCORCH”.
“The anti invasion exercise was “SCORCH” held from 14 hs on Saturday, December 6 to sunset on Sunday, December 7,1941.
In this exercise, which roughly covered an area within a line bounding Lowestoft-Bicester-Basingstoke-Sheerness, units of Army Co operation and Fighter Command, dreopped parachete containers respresenting groups of airbone troops, and provided additional attacking and defending aircraft respectively…………Special identity markings were authorised. Those for “enemy” aircraft consisted of a Night port underwing, with a centre line of aircraft demarcation, and the aircraft individual letter marked on the starboard underwing in Night in the halfway position between wing root and roundel in as large a size as the chord or area permitted. “Friendly” aircraft were marked on ly with the individual letter on the starboard underwing in Night, as in the enemy case.
These markings were known to have been applied to Lysander, Tomahawk, Blenheim IV, Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft.
Army Co operation units (Lysanders, Tomahwks, Blenheim Ivs and a few Spitfire) were still in the Temperat Land scheme of Dark Green and Dark Earth upper surfaces, with Sky on the Lower surfaces. Fighter Command units (Spitfires and Hurricanes) were in the new Day Fighter Scheme consisting of Dark Green adn Mixed Grey (Ocean Grey) with Medium sea Grey on lower surfaces.
In Exercise “SCORCH” the majority of the Army Co-operation units played “enemy” roles with Fighter Command units playing “friendly” roles.”
To be honest I have never hear about this type of markings before.
It will be great if we can include a Hurricane painted in this markings to our sub collection.
I will really appreciate if someone could help me in this matter with complementary information or pictures.
Many thanks in advance.
Kind regards
Santiago
Any help or suggestions would be most welcome.
The modeler in question is Argentinian and specialises in British and Commonwealth aircraft and the rarity of subject, quality and quantity of the builds are something to behold. See the latest is a brace of Wackett (A3-49) Trainers in various schemes:
http://gregers.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2484&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=585
Julian
By: antoni - 8th August 2008 at 20:20
309 (Polish) Squadron took part in this exercise. The only mention in the official history of the Polish Air Force is :- “During December ‘A’ Flight took part in the exercise “Scorch” operating from Ipswich, and ‘B’ Flight, in “Stag” operating from Inverness.”
There is a photograph of Lysander V9576 AR*N which has a black letter N under the starboard wing. There is also a photograph of the aircraft from the other side and the port wing could be black underneath.
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August 8, 2008 at 1:12 pm