Can anyone provide confirmation/proof that these were scuttled off Little Cumbrae?

More recent publications (e.g. Butler’s Air Arsenal North America) state that these were scuttled off Bermuda in 1946. The last Largs flight was in 1944, and 231 had moved to Bermuda by the end of the War.

There were Catalinas scuttled in the Clyde, and I wonder if it’s a case of 2+2=5?

Thanks, more interesting stuff! The name isn’t right, though: he was Sergeant Fred W Hammond of Washwood Heath, Birmingham… My chum just checked on the IWM site and seems to think he’s identified correctly for the relevant pic, so maybe a bit of a mix-up; he explains, “(Fred Hammond) flew raids over Burma from Chittagong and a place on the coast in western India – Vishakapatanam or something similar.”
And I’ve been promised a look through the box of pics/goodies sometime soon, so maybe there’ll be more P-47 pics.
Regards, HPS

Sorry about that! The caption came from Geoff Thomas’ book on RAF Thunderbolts. I’d forgotten the IWM stuff was now on-line – there are some nice P-47 shots in there!

Presumably your friend’s wife’s father was Squadron Leader Hawkins? That’s the caption given for the kneeling officer. The croutching officer is Group Captain Chater.

Copies of Both Photos are in the IWM Collection (the first IWM-CF201, the second IWM-CF1242.)

They were taken at Chittagong.

Be nice to see more RAF P-47 pics!

What is it with Swifts and their owners :-)?

Oh well, somewhere to go when next at Barrow

Well, proof one Heyford survived into the war!

The restoration is pretty good, but the fastidious will notice a couple of minor errors – notably the lack of yellow warning bands on the tips of the rear of the props!

I also suspect the roundel reds are wrong, but that is more subjective!

Jim

Might it be FK115, a Marauder 1 that one source says served with 45 Group Communications Flight?

This aircraft was delivered to the RAF in June 1942 and struck off charge in July 1945.

Paul

As the person who gave Jim the original FK105 serial (From Air Britains original RAF Support units book), I’ve done a little more research:

FK105 is a typo in the AB book, other sources give it as FK115 – A Maurader 1 (or 1A – sources differ at present) – Bauger* lists it as a B-26A-1, serial 43-7391. It is listed as being with 45 Gp Comms Squadron from July 42 until it became 231 Sqn in Sept 44, then with that unit until July 45 (which also matches with it’s disposal date on the)

As for Jim’s belief it was a II, some mk Is (and certainly the MKIAs) seem to have been fitted with the enlarged intakes

* http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/1941_2.html