I was looking through the stills at the Pathe News site and saw the stills of the B of B flight flown at the end of the war in which Douglas Bader took part.
I’d always wondered about which Spit he was flying and one of the stills shows it as HFIX RK917. I couldn’t tell if it was a tall tail or clipped wing, but figurings it’s an HFIX I’d assume the wings were normal span.
Anyway, I fooled around with a profile of it and am wondering if I’m close? There was clearly no fuselage band in the photos so I assume the nose was dark.
Also saw some interesting photos of Spit Vc Trops over Sicily. it was a flight of 4 with the section leaders both flying Spit Vcs without the tropical intakes or Abikour filters while the wingmen had the normal tropical intakes on their Vcs. I’d not seen Vc Trops without some sort of filter outside of some RAAF ones that were local mods for 79 Squadron RAAF.
Pathe News is a fascinating place to look around.
Dan
By: JDK - 11th October 2003 at 10:24
Dan,
I reckon you should set up a website offering Spitfire colours to order! Very impressive work so far.
Cheers
By: Dan Johnson - 11th October 2003 at 01:21
Originally posted by von Perthes
Not bad Dan, but it needs to lose the cockpit door. 🙂Geoff.
I’m a little slow sometimes 🙂 Thanks for the heads up. The new and improved….I hope…VII
Dan
By: von Perthes - 11th October 2003 at 00:37
Not bad Dan, but it needs to lose the cockpit door. 🙂
Geoff.
By: Dan Johnson - 10th October 2003 at 23:36
One for Mark V
Late summer 44 Spitfire VII
Dan
By: Mark12 - 10th October 2003 at 20:02
Daz,
Of course you could re-convert this BoB film star back to a Markaddie. 🙂
Mark
By: Dan Johnson - 10th October 2003 at 19:30
Thanks for the info on the DD codes Von Perthes, I like DD-M better 🙂
Dan
By: von Perthes - 10th October 2003 at 19:15
DazDaMan,
The code letters ‘DD’ were indeed used, but not between June 1939 and August 1941. So your squadron could have been coded ‘DD’ in the BoB, assuming they had a reason to be re-coded, i.e. transferred to another theatre- Middle or Far East before August 1941. So a ‘DD-M’ coded Mk I is on.
‘DM’ was used by 248 sqdn, Beaufighter & Mossie, June 1943- Sept 1946, in the U.K. So I’m afraid ‘DM’ wont do for your sqdn after June 1943. If you want to stick with ‘DM’ then you would have to say that your squadron had gone out to the Middle or Far East by then, or been re-coded for another reason.
Info from ‘Combat Codes’.
Have you designed a sqdn badge yet?
Geoff.
By: DazDaMan - 10th October 2003 at 18:32
LOL 😀
Dan, that’s great!
Sorry again about not saying it was a MkI I was after – I thought everyone knew about my BofB novel!
By: Dan Johnson - 10th October 2003 at 18:20
Daz’s B of B Mark I Spitfire
Hope this does the trick.
Well known B of B Pilot Officer “Daz” Daman’s Spitfire Mark I, August 1940
Dan
By: Eddie - 10th October 2003 at 17:13
Definitely wasn’t the dominant model – the Mk.II production early on was a trickle compared to the Mk.I production. It wasn’t a case of the Mk.II instantly replaced the I on all production lines. Someone who knows more about Spitfires can no doubt correct me, but I think I’m right in saying the Mk.IIs were only produced at Castle Bromwich in the Battle of Britain, and that was a brand new factory that was just gearing up for production.
By: Phil Foster - 10th October 2003 at 16:36
About August/September 1940 would have been the height of the battle. Seeing as how quickley things were getting done it could be argued that the Mk2A played a big enough role to have been the dominant model. I’m not saying it was but it might have been. I suppose we would only know by looking at the stats for that period.
By: DazDaMan - 10th October 2003 at 16:20
‘Twas the MkI/Ia by a long streak. The MkII came into service about August/September 1940.
Over 1000 MkIs built, and 920 MkIIs. (I think)
By: Phil Foster - 10th October 2003 at 16:12
Thanks for the info on the Mk9 I didn’t know that but here is a question. Was the Mk1 the most prevalent model in the BoB or was it (as I believe) the Mk2A?
By: Dan Johnson - 10th October 2003 at 15:59
Originally posted by DazDaMan
Sorry to be a pest, old chap, but what about a Mk1?? 🙂It’s a Battle of Britain story (should have mentioned – sorry!)
The profiles look good, as always 🙂
Geez it’s always something! 🙂
OK Mk I should be up a bit later
Dan
By: Dan Johnson - 10th October 2003 at 15:58
Originally posted by Phil Foster
I think in the BoB he mostly flew Hurricanes and he was shot down over France in a Mk5A (a mark 5 Spitfire with machine guns only, no cannon because he didn’t trust them even after they had been pretty much perfected by mounting them in the wings on thier sides) He flew a Mk14 (I think) in the famous fly past over London at the end of the war.Regards
Phil
Actually he flew an HFIX in the famous flypast over London. That’s the profile that started this thread 🙂
Dan
By: DazDaMan - 10th October 2003 at 09:53
I’m pretty sure Bader also flew in 19 and 222 Squadron at Duxford. The MkVa he was shot down in was W3185, reincarnated by the Kyosho R/C Spitfire model, and it was never determined whether he was shot down or collided with a Messerschmitt. In fact, I think Bader himself was never sure of exactly what happened.
By: Phil Foster - 10th October 2003 at 09:24
I think in the BoB he mostly flew Hurricanes and he was shot down over France in a Mk5A (a mark 5 Spitfire with machine guns only, no cannon because he didn’t trust them even after they had been pretty much perfected by mounting them in the wings on thier sides) He flew a Mk14 (I think) in the famous fly past over London at the end of the war.
Regards
Phil
By: DazDaMan - 10th October 2003 at 08:46
Sorry to be a pest, old chap, but what about a Mk1?? 🙂
It’s a Battle of Britain story (should have mentioned – sorry!)
The profiles look good, as always 🙂
By: Dan Johnson - 10th October 2003 at 07:10
Had to give up your XIVs to the Belgians of 350 Squadron. But you’ve got XVIEs and on to the continent for some ground attack work.
Dan
By: Dan Johnson - 10th October 2003 at 07:08
September of 44 and your Squadron is onto Mk XIVEs covering the Market Garden Operation.
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October 1, 2003 at 7:39 pm