Seafire Identity Wanted

This was taken at Luqa or Ta’ Qali as you can see a hillside in the backround,where at Hal Far there aren’t hillsides like that.

and that the location is Hal Far. Well done!

I’m not so sure it’s Hal Far, the sun’s position is either SE or SW depending on morning or afternoon. Using Google Earth at ground level and the sun feature, if in the morning the background would be far further away,if in the afternoon the background would be out to sea. Could be Luqa in the PM, but Ta’ Qali is a better bet in the afternoon.

Original post by Acklington
So the 805 markings are history from August 1946.

Having played about with the Squadron badge photo, the only one that fits the bill would appear to be 805 : it would appear to be the group of palm trees that’s the prominent feature in the very small badge.
(just my twopence worth, I know everybody else has moved on!) 😮 Brian
PS Love threads like this, would that I could find house clearances that yielded such treasures!

As Mark mentions, SR602 seems to fit the bill more so than SR632 and SR642.

Not sure why you mention SR643 but this aircraft was land-based with 700 Sqn at Yeovilton, during the period when the photos were taken.

Hope this helps.

Sorry – typo!:o

Many thanks to you both for the further clarification, and I’m convinced now that the photo shows SR602, and that the location is Hal Far. Well done!

Next will be another Seafire photo in the collection – Mk.III “M8R” of 728 Sqdn – a nice flying shot, but it will be a few weeks before I can restore the photo (due Duxford, Fairford, and Farnborough!)

As Mark mentions, SR602 seems to fit the bill more so than SR632 and SR642.

805 Sqn, with 12 Seafire F XVs, joined HMS Ocean on 19 June 1946 and sailed for the Med, arriving at Malta on 4 August 1946. They disembarked to Hal Far on arrival.

The squadron rejoined Ocean on 18 September 1946 but left their Seafires at Hal Far. This came about because of the ban on Seafire XV deck operations which Mark mentioned. They were now equipped with Firefly FR 1s which they had use as single-seat fighters until they re-equipped with Seafire F 17s in April 47.

At the time the photo was taken, SR632 was in the Far East with 802 and, later, 806 Sqns. Mark has already given SR642’s location at the time.

In the Air-Britain book, ‘The Squadron’s of the Fleet Air Arm’, from which I gleaned the info above, it shows 728 Sqn as based at Hal Far from 5 May 1946 until it disbanded on 31 May 1967.

Not sure why you mention SR643 but this aircraft was land-based with 700 Sqn at Yeovilton, during the period when the photos were taken.

Hope this helps.

So SR602 does seem to be a distinct possibility, but still not conclusively so, given the lack of information regarding SR643 and SR642. They may prove to have similar 805 / 728 Sqdn histories during 1946?

I don’t think that the photo was taken much after Aug/Sept 1946, as there are no other subjects in the collection that date much beyond then. Perhaps our photographer left Malta around then?

SR462 was UK land based with 780 Sqn at Hinstock from May 46 to October 1946. No recorded service in Malta.

Mark

References Ray Sturtivant & Lee Howard.

Finally, regarding Malta, I find conflicting accounts of where 728 Sqdn was based – Ta Kali – Luqa – Hal Far, all feature in various accounts regarding 1945 – 46.

728 Sqn was based at all three of these locations at various times.

Mark

Thanks Mark for your comprehensive reply.

In the photo the Seafires are securely picketed, and have protective covers for the cockpit. So ‘external storage’ is a distinct possibility, and perhaps the ‘erks’ are undertaking routine preventative maintenance.

So the 805 markings are history from August 1946, and would presumably have been subsequently removed if the aircraft was taken on by 728 Sqdn FRU. The photo may even mark the point at which the aircraft was taken on by 728 Sqdn, given that most of the other photos in this small collection are very 728 Sqdn-orientated.

So SR602 does seem to be a distinct possibility, but still not conclusively so, given the lack of information regarding SR643 and SR642. They may prove to have similar 805 / 728 Sqdn histories during 1946?

I don’t think that the photo was taken much after Aug/Sept 1946, as there are no other subjects in the collection that date much beyond then. Perhaps our photographer left Malta around then?

Finally, regarding Malta, I find conflicting accounts of where 728 Sqdn was based – Ta Kali – Luqa – Hal Far, all feature in various accounts regarding 1945 – 46.

OTGA

One That Got Away 🙂

805 Sqn was based at Hal Far from 4 August 1946 until 18 September 1946 before re-embarking on HMS Ocean.

It would seem that SR602 stayed in Malta, Seafire XV’s having been banned from deck landings due to technical problems.

Mark

SR602 fits some of the criteria.

728 Sqn Hal Far 10 September 1946.

Aircraft Handling Unit Hal Far 28 November 1947.

728 Sqn to Hal Far Workshops 2 March 1948.

728 Sqn Hal Far 2 April 1948.

AHU Hal Far 29 May 1948.

AHU Abbotsinch 7 September 1948.

No mention of 805 Sqn on any of the three possibilities

Mark.