77 Squadron used KN throughout the war. 106 Squadron used ZN throughout, so I think your database is wrong.

I think 77 Sq. used ZL but only during the period of the Munich crisis. Perhaps this is where the confusion lies?

or just what aircraft stores reference numbers refer to?

Just that.

My copy is 1949 and runs to 20 odd pages.

Very useful for checking Stores Ref.s, and associated A.P. No.s, but not much else.

RAFM, NA etc will have copies and some will no doubt pre- and post-date mine.

More details here…

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=385374&in_page_id=1773&in_a_source=&ct=5

It’s part of the sighting head from a Mk. XIV, XIVA, or T.1, 1A bomb sight.

See the attached photo.

It locks the head when not in use.

It might be from a Lancaster, but could be from just about any other British bomber from 1943 onwards.

What’s the point of painting it on the side of the airframe where no crew member can see it?

Because a Lancaster the subject of a gas attack would most probably be parked safely on the ground, and unlikely to have it’s crew aboard?

It was a common feature on No. 1 Group machines.

Lovely photo, and thank goodness it’s been rescued from destruction!

I don’t think it’s ND709, though.

Assuming the bombs on the upper rows are painted twenty per row and they are aligned vertically with the starting point of those on the lower row (which seems to be the case), then they start from a position under the front turret, which is an unusual position for the bomb tally.

ND709 had it’s bomb tally painted from bottom to top, i.e. the bottom row represented it’s earliest sorties, and extra rows were added above as it’s tally mounted. Norman Frank’s book contains a photo illustrating this quite clearly. And all of it’s bomb tally was behind the front turret as other photos prove.

I reckon I’ve seen most published photos of Lancasters, and I cannot recall one with the bomb tally in this position*.

(*Edited to say you can always be proved wrong – there are a few shots in Clarence Simonsen’s book on Canadian Nose Art. I’m not suggesting this is a R.C.A.F. Lanc though.)

…and the Walrus, of course.

It’s a Supermarine thing.

22nd April I believe.

Yes, and worth noting it’s back to saturday, not sunday!