Much more of a US slant. Great film, some of it from Memphis Belle, some from Thunderbolt. Som film from the Aleutians, Pacific stuff etc. Some I hadn’t seen before.

Not an RAF focused program at all so apparently it was coat tails 🙂

Dan

Got any more info, Dan?

My prize possesion from my Spitfire XII research time is the logbook of Bruce Moffett. His wife passed it on to me and I took it with me to Coltishall in 86 for the 41 Squadron reunion and had it signed by the Spit drivers in attendence. Bruce Moffett had passed away from cancer before I got started on my hunt for Spit XII drivers.

As he’d flown with both 41 and 91 on XIIs it’s about like finding Alladin’s cave, and since at this point, I’ll never own a real Spit, this will have to do.

Anyway, back to V-1s.

From a letter written to me by F/L H.D. Johnson of 91 Squadron, and a news clipping found in Bruce’s logbook describing the events surrounding the first V-1 kill in daylight.

H.D. Johnson “The preceeding evening we had listened with some interest to a most unusual airborne sound, very loud and very low over the mess. “Aural” recognition isn’t widely considered alongside the visual method, but it’s peculiar engine sound was a distinctive feather of each aircraft and in many cased could identify it accurately wihout being seen. The sound we heard that evening was not only unfamiliar, but distinctly menacing”

Two sections of Spitfire XIVs were detailed for dawn readiness the next day. One lead by Bruce Moffett and the other lead by “Johnny” Johnson, who continued in his letter.

“We had been given no advanced information of the weapon, and when one roared over the flight hut in the early morning, we couldn’t believe our eyes. The telephone rang and Ops shouted ‘Scramble a section to intercept Divers!’. It was well that we could put two and two together, because they also failed to explain to us the code word as well.”

Moffett lead his section off in Spitfire XIV RM617 DL-G. After a chase of twenty miles he was able to get close enough to intercept. Quoting from the newspaper clipping in his logbook.

“I sighted it about a mile away, closed in and opened fire. I saw several strikes hit home and then it went into a vertical dive, crashing into an open field and exploding”

Over the course of the summer Bruce Moffett downed a total of 9 V-1s. 91 Squadron claimed a total of 184 V-1s during their time flying Diver Patrols in the summer of 44.

Dan

16 and 54. 41 will be next, with 6 Sqn the last to go in 2007 I believe 🙁

So who is going to be left? Can’t imagine no 41 Squadron out there somewhere 🙁

From my one visit to Coltishall back in 1986 for the 41 Squadron reunion. Those Jags were tough looking kites too

Dan

Beat me by a second! 🙂

Dan

What squadron does the second aircraft in the line-up belong to? The codes look like “7B-something” :confused:

595 Squadron. They had a few Spit XIIs after the fact too. Army Co-op if I remember right.

Dan

It must have been a fun time to be a pilot. Best of the pistion engine fighters, no one really shooting at you and flying for the love of it.

Dan

Dan,
Just out of curiosity, were your images copyrighted, or did you enter into some sort of agreement with the manufacturer or their representatives to allow them to use your artwork? Or do you feel their two diecast Club models (blue civil Hurri, gray civil Spit) were based on other references primarily? :confused:

–Bob Steinbrunn

I’d been doing profiles for fun for a while and started posting them here. One of the Corgi folks asked me if I’d take a crack at the Blue Hurri. No problem. Just doing it for fun. Later asked if I’d take a crack at the possible scheme for G-AISU. He sent me a B&W image of the Spit and I guessed my best. Again no big deal

I didn’t copyright anything. Didn’t know I needed to 🙂 If you go through old threads on Flypast you’ll see all kinds of profiles I’ve done for fun just because it might fit with a thread. I just did a Spit 18 yesterday and posted it as a matter of fact. All kinds of MH434 profiles floating around Flypast, Mustangs as well. I traded in my model glue for computer profiles. No glue on the canopy this way 🙂

Looking at the images on the Corgi site, it appears the Blue Hurri is a different one then I did as it has the radio mast and I left it off mine based on the photo, but the gray Spit is definately mine. And that’s fine too. I know they were trying to get confirmation on the gray color and the lettering too. My effort was purely guess my best and it appears to have been what was used. I don’t know what other sources might have confirmed the colors.

I’ll end up with a Blue Hurri and Gray Spit out of the deal so it’s all good 🙂

Dan