The “night of the big winds” An uncle, piloting a 44 sqd. Lanc, was lost on this raid. Shot down by flak near Dusseldorf on the return trip, having strayed over the Ruhr defences because of the unexpected wind strength. He had done about 14 ops, so far as I’ve been able to find out, so it was what you might call an experienced crew for that particular period.

I didn’t think that Chipping Warden had blisters. On checking the link in the message referring to it, I see that it goes to Chipping Norton which DID have blisters [ I’m not suggesting that the mystery Spit. was there ].

It’s a blister hangar [ looks like a Miskins steel frame type ] but that type of hangar was used at so many airfields – fighter and maintenance in particular – that I don’t think it’s any help in identifying the aircraft.

I wonder if this is the same one which was displayed in Walsall in that year ? I remember going over it. I didn’t go inside – I think it must have been a walkway over a wing.

An Aeroplane Magazine database shows the following two as with the ATDU at some stage in their lives……
RH747 black and white image shows grey [?] top surfaces and light coloured lower
RH742 colour image shows mid grey upper and what looks like sky below – it’s carrying a torpedo so, presumably, was with the ATDU at the time
RH754 colour image heads the magazine article, a torpedo is carried but there’s no reference to a unit. colour is overall [ dirty ] white with mid grey upper surfaces of wings and tailplane only both of which have the white colour wrapped back over their leading edges for a few inches. Fuselage is all white except for a small area of mid grey in front of the cockpit as anti-dazzle. Engine nacelles are all over white with grey upper where they protrude at the trailing edge of the wing.

Having read one, I had to read the whole series. Agree with Moggy. Highly recommended reads.
Very sorry to hear of the author’s death – always thought he was older than 70 because his books seemed to have been written by someone “who was there”.

The book ” The Hornet’s Nest a history of 100 squadron.” contains a facsimile of the battle order for that operation.It only shows ED559 as D. – no squadron codes. The book has a photo of a 100 squadron crew standing in front of ED988, coded FZ. Harry Holmes’ book shows that aircraft as HW-J.