Grandad's day out

Guys,

Can l just add to this thread that Mac’s original ‘D’ for Donald was written off on 1st July 1941 at his home airfield having just returned from Circus 28 and he
crashed his new aircraft, also ‘D’ for Donald on 6th July 1941 when he was shot down and captured.

Regards,

Nick
KenFentonsWar.com

I’d like to say a big “THANK YOU!” to Chief Tech. Paul Blackah for arranging this for us, and giving us a wonderful guided tour of the BBMF Hangar.

I’d like to say thank you to your Grand Dad and his generation. Nuff said.

Has your Grandad shared anything of his experience in the RAF as a rigger during that period? Would love for you to share some of that here, but I know a great many vets do not openly speak about their time in the war.

Lovely pictures, all of them here, but those posted by Escape Officer are not the same Spitfire in my opinion. The clue is in the style of roundel, which also dates it AFTER the crash in France. (Probably the replacement “D”)Not only that, but the “Y” on the crashed Spitfire is further forward and touching the trailing edge of cockpit door. The bottom strike in the “Q” is also distinctly different.

I have some other shots of McCairns, including a mug shot somewhere.

Superb.
Thanks for sharing Eddie
Regards Mike

Probably because the squadron was issued with a replacement aircraft and it was coded the same, otherwise if a squadron lost 26 aircraft in its life they would run out of letters 😀

But if the photos of the downed P8500 were taken in July 1941, how can Eddie’s grandad be sitting in it in “1942” as per his caption?

Unless the Germans returned the shot down Spitfire to the RAF?

I think you will find it is…the roundel on the 1st(older) pic is not very prominent, but it is ‘high’ on the fusalage on both sides. Numbers and letters are the same, and I don’t think there is much chance of two different aircraft having the same ident. letters being shot down in similar circumstances on different days.

It’s not the same Spit , look at the fuselage roundel.

Nice pictures however , thanks fro sharing !

Zorglub

Spitfire YQ D P8500

Hi Eddie…Great photos of your Grandad.

I thought you would be interested in more photos of the same Spitfire your Grandad was sitting in, probably worked on and the fascinating story of it and it’s pilot.

On 6th July 1941, Flight Sergeant James Atterby McCairns of 616 Squadron was flying Spitfire MkIIA, P8500, YQ D and was shot-down by an ME109 (possibly Hauptmann Siegfried Schnell of JG 2 ‘Richthofen’) and crash landed about 300 yards from the beach at Gravelines, Pas-de-Calais, Northern France.
Wounded in the leg and unable to open his cockpit hood, he was captured and made a POW.
Sent to Stalag 9C at Bad Sulza, he escaped on his third attempt and made it back to the UK and joined 161 Squadron. (clandestine SOE operations). He was the first allied Fighter Pilot to make it back from a barbed-wire camp.
He joined 161 squadron and had a distinguished new career flying agents in and out of France by moonlight, in Lysanders.
In 1945, after the retaking of France and flying a Tempest, he shared in the shooting-down of an Arado Jet bomber.
Tragically, he was killed in a flying accident on 13th June 1948 in a Mosquito of 616 Squadron at Finningly.
The photos below were discovered in Germany in 2010. They must have been taken just minutes after crash-landing.
You can clearly see that it is the same Spitfire your Grandad is in by the detail of the hand-applied lettering. This lettering was apparently hastily re-done a few days before as another squadron shared the original identification prefix.
McCairns was awarded the Military Medal for escaping and then earned a DFC and two bars (one of only 50 pilots with 3 DFCs) for his time with 161 Squadron.
My connection is that he went to the same school as I and my Father and to date there is no (naming of a road or something) recognition of him in our home town of Retford in Nottinghamshire, UK as, although of English parents, he was born in Niagra Falls, USA. I’m still researching and hoping I can do something and your Grandfather is part of the history – wonderful guys..!
I have links to other sources of information but that’s all for now – main point was to send you the photos…!

Regards…Alex.

Great stuff Eddie.

I’ll bet the nostalgia was oozing out of your Grandpa, what a lovely gesture, may I respectfully request those that have such a relative as Eddie’s to do the same. It means so much, I had the privilege to the walk the flight line at Duxford nearly 18 months ago as a guest of the press, a wonderful experience!

What a great post Eddie – thanks for sharing. Say hi to your Grandad from us lot on the forum. Those photos must look great in the album / on the wall 🙂

Love the pic with the Spitfire!!!!

Great, I’d be smiling like that too.

Moggy

Eagle was used several times before Wasp but I don’t know the exact dates. According to Churchill’s Second World War, Wasp went in April and Eagle again in May.

Re: Grandad’s day out

Originally posted by Eddie
Hi all – thought that some of you might be interested to see these pics…

My Grandfather was a rigger in the second world war – he served with 65 Squadron and 616 Squadron in the Battle of Britain, went to Malta on Wasp, and finally ended up working on aircraft in India

1942

Which Aircraft carrier did the first Spitfires fly from to Malta in March 42 was it Wasp or Eagle ????

Thank you for sharing these Eddie 🙂

Nice photos Eddie – bet it brought back a few memories for your grandad.

Top photo’s Ed, I hope your Grandad had agreat time – looks like he did

Then and now.

Very very very nice photographs.

Mark

Great photos Eddie , any more ???:)