Arabella-Cox
August 19, 2015 at 8:53 am

Spitfire Mk1a L1083 August 1940

Hopefully someone can help me.
The record for this Spitfire is as follows
Spitfire L1083 Ia 298 EA MIII FF 19-8-39 609S 29-8-39 54S 8-6-40 66S 21-6-40 RAE 13-7-40 72S 23-7-40 222S 4-12-40 72S 5-2-41 FACB 12-3-41 58OTU 21-8-41 Missing in cloud over high ground 11-11-41 Sgt AB McKie RCAF

I am researching a 66 Squadron Canadian pilot, PO GH Corbett who, according to the 66 Sqd operational records flew this Spitfire on 11/08/1940 and then again on 06/09/1940 from Coltishall.
How can this be as the L1083 was allocated to 72 Squadron (Biggin Hill and Croydon) at this time?

Also I would be grateful if someone could tell me what “RAE” stands for in the above record. (I have a summary of abbreviations as below but RAE is not there?) Would that be Royal Aircraft Establishment?

Many thanks

Jeremy

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By: Engelsted - 23rd August 2015 at 13:33

It first appears in the 72 Squadron ORB on that date.

John

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By: Arabella-Cox - 21st August 2015 at 07:45

Spitfire Mk 1a L1083

I don’t think it arrived at 72 Squadron before the 23/9 (not 23/7).

John

Thanks John – Can I ask why you think that?

Incidentally, the Record Card info came from here – http://www.avialogs.com/index.php/aircraft-production-data/spitfire-and-seafire/l1083.html

Jeremy

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By: Whitley_Project - 19th August 2015 at 11:30

I have quite a strong interest in this Spitfire (L1083) and in fact have some pieces from it. It seems there is nothing left at the crash site now. I’d be very interested in finding more parts from it – I do not know where they went, but would like to know very much!

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By: Engelsted - 19th August 2015 at 09:42

I don’t think it arrived at 72 Squadron before the 23/9 (not 23/7).

John

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By: Sabrejet - 19th August 2015 at 09:28

RAE – Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. Test fit of some sort?

Is the info straight from the record card? It’s possibly a transcription error (on the card or on the secondary source it (may have?) come from).

Alternately, were 66 and 72 collocated at the time? Might have borrowed this aircraft from a squadron on the same stn/wg?