'Battle of Britain' Luftwaffe badges

When Maurice Carter and Jack Maxsted (Art Directors/ BoB film) were given the task to devise suitable unit markings for the Luftwaffe, they consulted Volume 1 & 2 of Markings and Camouflage sytstems of Luftwaffe Aircraft in WWII by Karl Ries Jr, published by Verlag Dieter Hoffmann in 1966.

Here’s a shot of White 2 one of atleast three white unit Buchons.

This badge is an adaptation of a training unit insignia FFS A/B 2

188 Sqdn! Weren’t they renumbered 633 sqdn, and converted to Mossies? 😉

I’ll take a look tomorrow – my poor little eyes are going mental from playing too much of Secret Weapons Over Normandy 😀 plus I’ve been awake nigh on 20 hours (give or take!) – not good!

You may well be right – I usually miss things like that, except for the scene where AVM Park visits Michael Caine’s squadron, and on the door is painted “188 Squadron”.

Daz… watch the sequence when the German generals are reviewing the various He111 units during the first part of the film… I’m sure that bogus unit codes are visable at various points especially when entering the airfields through lifted barriers… I’m also 100% sure that a fighter JG code is visable during one of the “in France” ground scenes…

The RAF units, yes, the Germans, hmm…..

I don’t “think” there are any references to any units/Geschwaders, but with my limited knowledge of German (and the DVD copy I have with its rather embarassing translations of even English sequences!) I couldn’t be sure.

I’d need to watch the film again to be sure, but I don’t think the German units were referred to by name or number (except in the “Northern raid” scene, where I’m sure the leader says something like “Tomato One” :confused: – that’s it)

Top pictures Daz and Mark, thanks for posting them!

Geoff… I haven’t got the film, but whilst watching it recently I’m sure that “bogus” Luftwaffe unit codes were visable at various stages of the openning inspection sequences on buildings and gates. Maybe somebody who as the film can comment more…

Many thanks DDM & Mark. Any further pix of the various unit markings used would be most welcome, but these will do fine if no others surface.

Were the red & yellow nosed ‘109s’, or the ‘111s’, referred to by a staffel/geschwader No or were unit Nos, even made up ones, not used, for reasons mentioned above?

Geoff.

I’ll try to take some photos of my two Buchons tonight – a 1/72nd yellow-nose (11+-) and a 1/48th red-nose (12+) and see if we can get some clear images of the badges.

I just remembered I once hand-painted the red-nose badges on a radio-controlled sport plane made up to look like an Me109 – heck of a job, but it looked nice eventually!

Try this.

Perhaps the Swastika is a bit clearer in the b/w shot.

Mark

p.s. Nope not much. It is clear on the original although the Swastika is thin lined.

Geoff,

The insignia on the ‘still’ images above are Blue and White with Black symbol.

Here is another insignia from a slide with a Swastika below the symbol.

Mark

Buchon ‘Yellow 5’ and Spitfire IX MH434

(image: Mark12)

Yellow nose close-ups – this is about the best I can do without a scanner! (Still working on mine at home! :confused: )

(image: Mark12)

Buchon formation – red noses

Red-nosed Buchon

Sorry – the badge is a bit obscured by the sun and the exhaust streak – will try another.

Buchons and Heinkels

Geoff

As promised, here’s the pics. Hopefully these don’t take you too long to download.

This is the Heinkels – please note that I know that the Heinkels carried different radio codes on their fuselages, but I have no idea whether the badges changed or not (but let’s presume they did).

“Battle of Britain” Luftwaffe

Hi all…

Warbirds Worldwide magazine carried an excellent three part article (issues 5, 6 & 7 dated 1988) on the making of the film and the aircraft used. All codes and emblems (both for the RAF and Luftwaffe) were made up so as not to aportion glory or blame to any particular unit/squadron…

Hope that helps…

Funny you should mention that – I was planning a website on the movie, but it got a bit pushed to the side when more and more people started contacting my about replica Spitfires! However, I know a few people that I can at least contact with a view to obtaining images to put up.

The red-nosed ‘109s carried the eagle-carrying-swastika badge, while the yellow-nosed ones carried the spread-eagle design. Images tomorrow with any luck!

DDM,

Thanks for the info. If you could tell me which badge the red nose ‘109s’ carried, and which one the yellow nosed ‘109s’ carried, with a illustration of each that would be great.

I shall look forward to seeing the badge carried by the ‘111’. Do you know if they all carried the same badge?

What are the best websites re the film, ie photos of the aircraft, and the making of it?

Geoff.

I think there were only two for the ‘109s – worn by the red- and yellow-nosed Buchons on the movie. They were both shields, half-blue half-white with different eagle or bird motifs on them. The red-nosed Buchons’ birds carried swastikas in their claws, like the insignia on a uniform (you know the one I mean!), but I can’t recall exactly what the yellow-nosed ones were like without the books. I think, they were simply a sort of spread eagle design…

The white-nosed Buchons, seen at the start of the film, are never seen in close-up (on screen at least) so no idea if they carried any. I know, however, that the Hobbycraft 1/48th Buchon model kit DID have the white numbers for the aircraft in the Battle of France sequences, AND the yellow-nose badges, so perhaps the white-noses had the same badge?? :confused:

Somewhere at home I have a good pic of a Heinkel from the movie, complete with badges. If I remember on Monday, I’ll post it up. There’s also one (supplied by Mark12) of Spitfire MH434 and a yellow-nosed Buchon, with the Buchon closer to the camera. Not sure how visible the marking is, though.

Hope this helps a bit!