Hello,
Am currently researching a possible scheme for one of our FSM projects. No. 43 Group Communication Flight, I believe carried the codes ‘IB’ on their aircraft. Looking at Ray Sturtivant’s ‘Flying Training and Support Units’ book, it says that at some date, 43 operated Spitfire Mk.II P8088. Seems that this is a well documented aeroplane and is currently on the British register as G-CGRM as a rebuild project.
But apart from the Sturtivant quote I can find no other reference to it being with 43 Group. Airframe served with a number of Squadrons including 66, 118, 152 and 19, before crashing on the 1st July 1944 when with 61 OTU. We would like to use the codes IB on this FSM, but if there is no other reference available, we may have to look at another Spitfire?
Can anyone help?
Best wishes,
Martin
By: T6flyer - 20th October 2017 at 10:31
Mark and Beermat,
Many thanks for your replies with this query. As to the link between P8088 and 43 Group is a little tenuous, we are now looking at Spitfires based at the client’s hometown, his initials and its intended home. Not really what I work towards, but in this instance, the customer is always right!
Martin
By: Mark12 - 20th October 2017 at 09:33
43 Group was part of Maintenance Command in the Home Commands structure.
Following a tip on to its nose on the 31 August 1941 with 19 Squadron it is recorded on the movement card as 43 GDA (43 Group Depot Account) on 3 September 1941 before being assigned to a ‘Repair In Works’ at Air Service Training at Exeter on 7 September 1941.
Further movement card entries indicate delivery to 9 MU 14 June 1944, then on unspecified dates to 43 Group, Communications Flight, and on to 61 OTU on 1 July 1944.
So it was just 17 days assigned to 43 Group Communications Flight. This strongly suggests to me that this was the delivery/paperwork getting P8088 from 9 MU to 61 OTU.
Mark
By: Beermat - 19th October 2017 at 16:37
Might there possibly be a bit of confusion creeping in from the fact that many aircraft went ‘on charge’ with 43 Group after salvage and before being S.O.C. or otherwise disposed of? Perhaps this happened to this aircraft, and it was on the movement card as sometimes happened? It does appear, from another site, to have been held for a time after diving into the ground for ‘stores and scrappage’ – which was most unusual.
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October 19, 2017 at 12:58 pm