The first to do it was F/O “Junior” Collier of 91 Squadron in a Spitfire XIV after running out of ammo.

Terry Spencer of 41 Squadron did it in a Spitfire XII which was considered a bit of an accomplishment with a clipped wing Spit.

F/O “Dixie” Deans of 616 did it with a Meteor.

There was a Polish pilot, whose name escapes me who tipped two with his Mustang III. I remember seeing a photo of him holding the dented wingtip of his 51.

Guess we’ve come up with 9 instances in this thread so far 🙂

Hope these help a bit

This is what I have in my stuff from the 91 Squadron Spit XII era. The first one is also in Peter Hall’s book. I imagine he got a copy from a former Squadron pilot like I did.

April 43 just prior to the changeover to the XII. Kynaston is behind S/L Ray Harries left shoulder.

A nice shot taken I believe in October 43 about the same time as the Tangmere Wing group photo as there are similar photos of Ray Harries and “Pinky” Glenn of 41 Squadron next to that 41 Squadron XII. I believe Kynaston had just gotten his DFC

Blow up of the Wing photo showing Kynaston again on Harrie’s left. Harries was the WingCo at that time and Kynaston CO of 91 Squadron. 41 Squadron CO Bernard Ingham is on Harrie’s right. F/L Ian Matthew of 91 is on the propeller. He later was CO of 41 Squadron. Pinky Glenn also later CO of 41 is two to the right of Ingham.

Taken at the DFC award ceremony for Free French Pilot Jacques Andrieux on May 9, 1944. There are a lot of photos from this event. Another appears in Peter Hall’s book as well. This one was in the logbook of a former 41 and 91 Squadron Spit XII pilot that I am lucky enough to have.

Interesting pics Aeronut.

In the top one I can see more Vampire removable engine cowls but the long black device leaning against the RH wall in the top picture is a Lancaster main u/c down lock. TAC had a few other Lanc u/c parts but I don’t know what became of them.

Also, on the top of the pile (top pic again) is one of several ex-Mustang Malcolm Hood canopies NAPS/TAC had. Retrieved from a farm local to Manchester airport and reputedly acquired by the farmer when such aircraft were scrapped at Ringway after the war. Again, no idea what became of them.

Anon.

Check the shape of that Malcom hood. That’s not Mustang, That’s Thunderbolt

The fact that we still consider the idea that any war can be ‘civilized’ probably has a lot do to with why they continue to occur.

Interesting to note people talking about how it was seen ‘back then’ as to what is acceptable ‘now’.

I’d suggest people are just as dead now as they were then. Because we continue to try and sanitize it, doesn’t make it cleaner death.

A really hard question as so many books came to mind. My answer is even a surprise to me, but if it had to be the most bang for the buck in one book that might catch as many readers as possible if it was their only option.

Ernest K Gann’s Flying Circus.

Short stories about the development of civilian aviation from the very early days. It also offers a taste of WW2 aviation with a nice chapter on the civilian Mossies running from Sweden to the UK during the war.

Each chapter has great artwork of the aircraft in question and the final chapter where he describes being part of a ferry flight of an old DC3 across the Pacific had me wanting to go back to the late 30s

In terms of WW2 aviation, the most beat up and overused books on my shelves at home are

“Flying Buccaneers” Steve Birdsell
“The Mighty Eighth” Roger Freeman
‘Eagle Day” Richard Collier

I always find myself going back to those.

My apologies Nathan if you thought I was arguing your point. I wasn’t asking you to defend your writing. It was more my own curiousity based on your article that got me digging into this stuff, along with it by chance connecting a bit to a personal project on that Yank Beaufighter driver.

It’s safe to say that the US was very much isolationist at the time and Roosevelt was walking a tightrope with an election year and the influences of big name isolationists like Charles Lindbergh among others.

I think what it all shows is that we as a country were not there to help directly as ‘it wasn’t our war’ at the time.

Bruce Robertson’s book on the Spitfire will always be my favorite.

It covers more of what the original poster is asking. Spit the History is a great book too, but it’s lacks the personal stories etc.