Spitfire Reference Material

Spitfire R7143 – ex RCAF Rockcliffe aircraft – For Ollie

I noticed that Ollie was looking for some information on this aircraft as were others about X4492.

This aircraft was one of 3 Spitfires sent to Canada in the late winter and early Spring of 1943. Their primary role was for testing of aerial photography equipment but some pilots from the unit state otherwise. More joy riding then photography work was done – and who could blame them!

There were 11 Spitfires in Canada between 1940 and 1951 and none logged more time then these three aircraft. But sadly in 1947 they were retired and transferred to the RCN/FAA for instructional purposes. R7143 was sent to Canada as a Mk VII Type G and was entirely silver, stripped of all paint. They aircraft was plaqued with undercarriage problems after a crash in the UK. Another wheels up landing damaged they a/c again and proved to be a challenge when an RCN pilot named Barry Hayter was elected to pick up R7143 from Rockcliffe and fly her back to Halifax.

While Barry was landing in Nova Scotia or NB his brake failed on the a/c. After fueling up and rev’in the engine he had some number of ‘erks hang off the a/c until he took off – all jumping off in the nick of time!

This aircraft was then towed from RCNAS Dartmouth and taken to HMCS Stadacona (concrete ship) land station where the RCN Air Electrical “L” School was located. The C.O., RAdmr Terry Burchell had the wings removed and hoisted the aircraft up to the second floor and squeezed the a/c a small hole made in the wall. After putting the a/c back together and up on her gear, the seal broke! She stayed there until 1948-9 until it was scrapped. I finally found a class grad from that year that would disclose what happened to her.

To this day I still have not been able to find out what the RCN did with X4555 and X4492.

Here are some pics of R7143 and RAF movement card:

Mark: F. Ia
Serial No: R7143
Contract No: B19713/ 39, 1st order. Dated August 9. 1939.
Engine: Rolls Royce Merlin 111
Built at Vicker’s ? Factory, #1470. February 2, 1941
Presentation aircraft Walsall I.
Built at a unit cost of £4,250
sister aircraft to R7139 Walsall II
No. 6 Maintenance Unit at RAF station Brize Norton. Feb 2, 1941.
Director General of Research & Development – Jan 18, 1941.
Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough.
No. 1416 Flight at RAF station Benson. Conv. to Mk. P.R. IV. April 12, 1941.
Rolls Royce factory at Hucknall. Conv to a Mk. F. Va. September 7, 1941.
No. 140 Squadron (ZW-*) at RAF station Benson. Octr 3, 1941.
Converted to a Mk. PR VIIa type G. date unknown. March 10, 1942.
Painted pink with VII legend on fuselage.
Category B (flying accident). P/O F.J. Blackwood while on formation
practice flight landed at Benson in bad visibly, resulting in the
misjudgment of the field and runway. He tried to skid R7143 around to
prevent striking boundary hedge resulting in undercarriage collapsing.
No. 1 Civil Repair Unit. March 15, 1942.
Repaired aircraft awaiting collection. April 19, 1942.
No. 6 Maintenance Unit at RAF station Brize Norton. October 29, 1942.
RAF station Benson.
No. 47 Maintenance Unit at RAF station Sealand.
All arms removed from aircraft.
Manchester Dockyards. January 1, 1943
On board the SS Manchester Progress bound for Montreal. January 16, 1943.
Arrived in Canada. February 10, 1943.
Delivered to RCAF station Rockcliffe February 17, 1943.
No. 3 Training Command February 26, 1943.
No. 13 Squadron/#7 Photo Wing based at Rockcliffe, Ontario.
Category C. at RCAF station Rockcliffe. F/O H.V. McRae experienced
undercarriage failure while in flight, starboard leg would not lock down.
Tried using co2 b/u system with no results. Damaged u/c port main plane,
starboard main plane and flap. Leaking hydraulic valve and u/c locking pin failure to be the cause. September 10, 1944 6:30pm.
Unserviceable till June 1945.
No. 1 Air Command. January 15, 1945.
In “unit stores” at Rockcliffe April 30, 1946.
No. 9 Transport Group. At RCAF station Rockcliffe. July 15, 1946.
On display at the International Airshow in Toronto August 30, 1946
Awaiting disposal. October 11, 1946.
Air Search Rescue duties. January 9, 1947.
On display during airshow at Rockcliffe, June 14, 1947.
no flights due to weather. (R7143?)
Transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy. September 2, 1947.
Flown from RCAF station Rockcliffe to RCNAS Dartmouth October 1947.
by RCN Lt (P) Barry Hayter.
RCN Air Electrical School at HMCS Stadacona for instructional purposes.
Reduced to scrap in 1949-50 by school staff.

The Spitfires involved in exercise Spartan in 1943 with the white fuesalage sides that played the bandits.

Undersides of the port wing also painted black for Spartan.

I Is there anywhere i can get a listing of Squadren codes during the war?

Have you tried this site?
http://www.rafweb.org/Menu.htm#Sqn%20Markings

Scroll down until you come to squadrons by number.

Hope it helps.

The Polish 303 Sqn also applied the white stripe on their Spitfir Vs during Spartan.

R7143 was a photo-reconaissance Spitfire. There’s a book that discusses it. Mark12 mentioned it in the post 17 here:
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=71876

ES278 was a Mk V. A photo can be found in the post 15 of this excellent thread:
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=27828

pm

Hi
PM sent
cheers
Jerry

Thank you.

Some pics from the 350 (Belgian) Squadron
http://home.pi.be/~braf/350Sqn/images/gallery/LAVIGNE%20J.jpg
http://home.pi.be/~braf/350Sqn/images/gallery/LAVIGNE%202.jpg
http://home.pi.be/~braf/350Sqn/images/gallery/Spartan%20March%2043%20A%20Flight.jpg

Do you know this pic already?
Spitfire Mk Vb
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL389/7336815/13978052/276655485.jpg

…and this article?
http://home.pi.be/~braf/350Sqn/stories/350Spartan.htm

That picture was the only one i have. I had not seen that article, thank you for that.

Do you know this pic already?
Spitfire Mk Vb
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL389/7336815/13978052/276655485.jpg

…and this article?
http://home.pi.be/~braf/350Sqn/stories/350Spartan.htm