Spitfire Mk. V in Indian Air Force: seeking photos

The book has since been released. Google “Spitfires in the Sun” and you will see a cover. As far as copies being avialable, logistics are still being worked out. But if you are feeling particularly rich, then you can always head to Amazon.. 😀

Thanks Mark12, much appreciated.

MA286 along with at least two others were used in India on second line duties, indeed flown by ‘Cotteswold’ who has a very nice air to air photo.

What constitutes a transfer to the Indian Air Force I am not quite sure pre 1947. The markings would be the same.

Mark

The Indian Spitfire book by Polly Singh is scheduled for July. Simon Watson at the Aviation Book Shop will certainly be carrying it.

There was a photo of an Indian Air Force Mk.Vc in (I think) Aeroplane Monthly a few years back. It was an ex-607 Sq machine, in OTU use with a large 2-figure number. This may well have been MA368.

The long awaited book on the Indian Air Force Spitfires is imminent I gather.

Mark

Do tell please, haven’t heard of this one. Thanks

Mk.V powered by a Merlin 66? :confused:

Somebody is getting mixed up. MA364 was a Vc and it went to India but it had a Merlin 55M.

http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p057.html

A Merlin 66 is of course a MK VIII or Mk IX.

The long awaited book on the Indian Air Force Spitfires is imminent I gather.

Mark

Mk.V powered by a Merlin 66? :confused:

According to http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Aircraft/Spitfire.html#Mk Vc/Trop

All the Mk Vs used by the IAF were powered by the Merlin 66 and arrived Bombay from August 1943. Four served with No 4 Squadron while at least one served with No 1 SFTS (India) in 1946 with the code “88” painted on MA 368 (SOC – 25.4.46.). All IAF Vc were serialled MA—. MA 364 a Vc/Trop is known to have had an incident with then Flg Offr H Moolgavkar (later Air Chief Marshal and Chief of the Air staff). This aircraft taken on charge by the RAF on 25 July 1943, arrived Bombay on 27 September 1943 for 136 Squadron RAF. Its date of transfer to 4 Squadron IAF is not known. However, on 15 January 1945 at Murdania (a beach strip), while aborting take off after an engine failure at 30 ft, Moolgavkar landed wheels down and ran into shallow water and overturned. Moolgavkar was rescued just in time before drowning. The aircraft was SOC on the same date.

See also http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1940s/Spitfires.html

The first Supermarine Spitfire with the IAF was a lone Spitfire Mk Vc provided to No.4 Squadron on the eve of the Arakan Campaign. Operated by Indian veterans from the European front, the Spitfire was flown in a pathfinding as well as an interceptor role operating from Cox Bazar.

Air-Britain’s “Spitfire International” doesn’t list any, just VIIIs, XIVs, XVIIIs, XIXs and one P.R.XI.