Turkish Spitfires in North Africa

Here’s the relevant extract from Duke’s war diary…

“Sunday 24th May 1942:
Arose about 10:30 (at Heliopolis visiting 92sqn) with the news that Hunk and I were to take two Spitfire I’s (ex-Turkish AF) back to Ballah with us. Flashed around trying to organise some notes on Spits for the groundcrews but didn’t have much luck.
Took my Spit off in the evening, Hunk staying behind to get some paperwork done. Caused a terrific stir at Ballah when I arrived-in the news again! Very pleasant to fly a Spitfire again but it is all in Turkish and has a push/pull prop control (Variable Pitch)”

The other pilot was “Hunk” Humphreys,a close friend of Duke’s and it seems to confirm that Duke only flew the one example. Just to confuse things, there are pictures of him posing in front of both machines.

What about the two so-called Spitfires that were located in Turkey some years ago, Mk IX’s I believe. Any substance in this story?

Cees

Three photos of Spitfire Is in Turkish service. All from Ole Nikolajsen collection
At first sight it seems that all fits: there were three Spitfire Is in Turkey (L1066, P9566, and P9567) and there are three different code numbers: 1, 2 and 3. However, the Spitfire I ‘1’ shows ‘B’ camouflage layout (L1066 should have ‘A’ scheme). Close-up view of this Spitfire, seemingly taken on the same occasion, shows the windscreen with external armoured glass panel, late style (tapered) aerial mast, and voltage regulator on the back of the plate behind the pilot. All this fits with no. P9566, a later production machine. Also the photo of the Spitfire ‘3’ shows the late style windscreen and mast, so this Spitfire seems to be P9567, in ‘A’ camouflage scheme. If all three photos were taken at the same time, only the Spitfire ‘2’ can be L1066. Or, the two photos of no. ‘1’ (and ‘2’ behind) may have been taken after L1066 was withdrawn (renumbered?) and the two Spitfires from later delivery were re-coded.
Turkish Hurricanes, with numbers in 27.. range can be seen in the background of the upper photo.

JBS

Thanks as well!!

Paul

Thanks for the info folks,nice to have some background on these airframes. It’s interesting that JBS’s info lists them as both being flown by Duke as in his own diary entry for the period he states that the aircraft were flown as a pair with another pilot. Even Neville Duke couldn’t have been in two cokpits at once! 😀 Unfortunately the book is at work and I’m at home,so can’t check the facts precisely until tomorrow.
There are a couple of decent shots of these machines in the book,showing them in RAF markings with sand and stone uppers and what appears to be an unusually dark shade of blue inderneath. They don’t appear to have been in any way tropicalised,which makes you wonder what use they would’ve been in the desert.

L1066 was sold to Poland during summer 1939, despatched by sea, and diverted to Turkey after Poland was overrun by the Germans in September.
The association of Turkish and RAF HK… numbers with original British serials is speculative.

Voytech,

I’ll bow to your greater knowledge on this subject, the only information I have is from various books.

Regards,

L1066 was sold to Poland during summer 1939, despatched by sea, and diverted to Turkey after Poland was overrun by the Germans in September.
The association of Turkish and RAF HK… numbers with original British serials is speculative.

Ant/Paul,

These are the extracts from Spitfire International

[INDENT]P9566 Spitfire F.Ia (Merlin III); Became Turkish AF No.2092; Class B reg. N-22 – Arr Turkish AF in 05/1940; 42nd Company of 4th Air Regiment in 08/1940; Detached to Corlu; Grounded due to lack of spares 12/1940; Abu Sueir, Egypt, flown to No.1 (ME) Training School at El Ballah c.04/1942 (F/O NF Duke); Re-serialled HK954 by 25/04/1942; Fate unknown

P9567 Spitfire F.Ia (Merlin III); Became Turkish AF No.2903; Class B reg. N-23 – Arr Turkish AF in 05/1940; 42nd Company of 4th Air Regiment in 08/1940; Detached to Corlu; Grounded due to lack of spares 12/1940; Abu Sueir, Egypt, flown to No.1 (ME) Training School at El Ballah c.04/1942 (F/O NF Duke); Re-serialled HK956 by 25/04/1942; Fate unknown[/INDENT]
The serials quoted in this book, HK954 and HK956, are incorrect and should read HK854 and HK856 respectively.

Ant, the Turks only operated one other Mk.I, L1066, and its listed as follows,

[INDENT]L1066 Spitfire F.Ia (Merlin III); Became Turkish AF No.2901; TOC/RAF 31/07/1939 – Arr Turkish AF in 19/08/1939; 42nd Company of 4th Air Regiment in 08/1940, detached to Corlu; Grounded due to lack of spares 12/1940; Fate unknown[/INDENT]
Hope this helps chaps and Paul I remember us chatting about them I think it came about as we were chatting about Turkish Spitfires in general and if there were any survivors :rolleyes: 😉

Regards,

I think it was 4..

JBS and I discussed this subject about a year ago and I can’t remember why!!!!

It should be in Spitfire International (and the story of them) – the reason I know is we were commenting on the pilot being something like F/Lt N Duke and we were wondering if it is one and the same..