Colour WW2 Pics

Some more of my Favourites

Here is a couple more rare birds
1. Supermarine Spiteful F.XIV (mmmm my favourite)
2. Short Shetland
3. Short Stirling C.V
4. Avro York
5. Tupolev TB-3

Colour Luftwaffe

Here are a few colour WW2 pics…

Isn’t it funny, Mark how colours in these old photos play tricks?

Photo credit: John Kenyon Collection via Mark 12

I dont know, but if you speak about the roundels these peculiar roundels were used in the Pacific by the UK, they haven’t been altered (so , no red in the middle etc)

MH454 was sold to COGEA nouvelle on 03.03.1956 (Date of official registration) and flown to Ostend where used as TT under BAF. contract.

I think this might possibly be our beloved MH434.

The Belgian Air Force re-equipped with loaned Spitfire Mk XVIs from the RAF post WWII and these were subsequently returned as the XIVs came on stream. The aircraft were even painted in Belgian Air Force livery. Mk XVI survivor TB252 comes to mind.

Mark

Wow Mark, that is awesome.

I’m glad you posted all three pictures showing the progress of the ‘creation’ of this photo. Were other images of aircraft also put together like this from the film reels? Thanks for sharing it.

Dave

Dave

This was the only one. It was special and justified the time and the effort. The quality was sufficient to satisfy the publishing requirements of ‘the other aviation mag’, who printed it over two pages.

‘Voy tech’ plans to submit a piece to Flypast on B/W photo interpretation using the base line colour data plus filters of the William Wyler footage. We are very aware of the effects of ‘pan and ‘ortho’ film of the time.

Mark

The Belgian Air Force 1946-1986 by John Pacco/Guy Derie mentions that Spitfire both Mk.IX and Mk.XIV were delivered to fassberg in 1945. Howewer, in the history of the type, he mentions Spitfire Mk.XIV delivered as from 1947 which I have from other sources.

Bearing in mind that the early aircrafts were delivered straight from RAF stocks, estimated fellow members from overseas might help.

A few Mk.IXs were indeed delivered later on ex RNAF.

MH454 was sold to COGEA nouvelle on 03.03.1956 (Date of official registration) and flown to Ostend where used as TT under BAF. contract.

All details available in the excellent book (in Dutch) over Keerbergen airfield by Van Humbeek.

My sources give the above mentioned dates for the Mk.XIV which as far I remember replaced the Mk.IXs earlier delivered.

First Mk.IX in belgian colours were flown from fassberg.

If someone is interested, I can dig out my books and revert

Wow Mark, that is awesome.

I’m glad you posted all three pictures showing the progress of the ‘creation’ of this photo. Were other images of aircraft also put together like this from the film reels? Thanks for sharing it.

Dave

Is this cheating?

Maybe but I think it is justified by the end result.

About four years ago Fred Mills in Canada very kindly gave me two reels of spliced b/w and colour 8 mm film he had taken on his new ‘clockwork’ cine camera at the end of WWII and just after – Victory parades etc.

One element of the colour stock included shots of the Spitfire JF294, just arrived at Wonderboom in South Africa, that later went on to become 5501 of the SAAF post war and is a survivor on display currently at the Saxonwold museum. The aircraft was finished in the high altitude livery.

Unfortunately Fred was generally too far away for the action shots or when he was close, he was too close and his best endeavour never got more then 6-8ft of the aircraft in the frame.

No problem said ‘Voy Tech’ in Poland. Send it over, my technician friend can fix it – and indeed he could. He stitched together digitally about eight tiny frames of the 8mm stock to produce a very passable image.

Mark

How about something a little more unusual

Here is a Horten Ho VII

I knew you would like that one Steglitz! How long after the war were these Spitfires purchased? Any idea?
—
Allan

The Belgian Airforce was formed in 1946 and it has operated spitfires MKXIV from the start. The first spits where in a green/brown as camo seen in your pic. But very soon, they where changed to a bare aluminum sheme. So the spit MKXIV was in full use with some units in 1946. The most MKXIV where delivered before 1950.
The BAF also used spit MKIX for training and in small numbers the spit MK XVI. They where used until around 1957. The BAF still took delivery of spitfires MKIX during 1951-1953. Those last spits came from the Royal Netherlands Airforce. One of those last spits to take service with the BAF was MH434 which was used by the BAF from 1953 to 1956.

A total of more than 140 spits saw service with the BAF.
Airworthy survivors are:

MKXIV:
RN201
NH904

MK IX:
MH434
MH415
MK912
MK923

Greets,

J.V.

or Lightning ?

how about some jets ? 😎

Martin

Just to add to the party.

A factory fresh B17G, and a combat shot of a badly damaged 301st BG B17G taken in February 1945 after it was hit by flak in the waist area peeling back the fuselage. It held together and they made it back

Dan

The Spit MkXIV of the Belgian Air Force photographed at Koksijde were later resprayed in silver finish. This must be an early photograph.

L’Ecole de chasse (OTU) was established in 1948. The first aircrafts were delivered in January 1948 whereas the first operationnal aircrafts arrived in 1947.(349 Sq at Beauvechain code GE

Thks for posting belgian Air Force Spits

They were phased out and scrapped end of 1954.

Well here is the raw image before adjustment.

But we are going to point out the variation in colour of a ‘projected’ image from a computer colour monitor, which means that just about everybody looking at these pics is getting a different range of colours; as agains reflected colour, viewed under what light source, and with what quality and training of Mk.1 eyeball… aren’t we. Sheesh.

Nice, but not something we are going to be dogmatic about!

Cheers / Salut

Reverse order.

Mk IX’s in Corsica.
—
Allan

Edit: Filmed by William Wyler on Corsica (1944)

Allan,

For some reason Jerry Yagen posted the principal image of his MJ730 HT-W Spitfire in reverse on his website.

Here it is the right way round, cockpit door to port, a few frames on, and taken from my second original copy print of the William Wyler footage.

Mark

MK XIV’s this time. Ok, so I’m a Spitfire fanatic 🙂
—
Allan

Not realy WW2 but I think we can forgive you for that! 😀 Keep them comming please.

J.V.

a few more

another beauty; RAF Mustang wrapped in plastic before crating ans shipment to the UK.

Martin / Swiss Mustangs

That’s nice!
Got any more RAF Mustangs in colour?