Wasn’t the retractable turret mounting & appature later used for the ASR Wellington’s retractable Leigh Light?

In that case, I’d try Hendon re an explanation of ‘ZZ landings.

Geoff.

JDK,

The ex Norwegian RAF He115s were BV184 (used for clandestine ops in the Bay of Biscay, during one of which it was damaged by a/c of 303 sqdn, & w/o in a t/o f/a 31/5/42), BV185 (used on clandestine ops from Malta to North Africa, w/o in an air raid on Malta, 9/7/41), and BV186 (no use on clandestine ops, scr Dec ’42).

BV187 was an ex-Luftwaffe a/c captured by the Norwegians during the fightning in Norway. It went out to Malta where it was destroyed by straffing Bf109s in early 1942.

This come from ‘War Prizes’ by Phil Butler (MCP). There is no mention of them using German markings. I expect that they relied on the Germans/Italians taking it as read that they were ‘friendly’ from the fact that they were obviously He115s, rather than noticing the RAF markings.

It’s worth mentioning that a Hudson (N7334) of the Photographic Development Unit was shot down by RAF Hurricanes near Gravesend, Kent, killing all but one of the four man crew, whilst it was painted in a non-standard 3 colour camouflage, whilst wearing red/blue RAF roundels, but no RAF code letters, on the 3/3/40. Having seen an illustration of the colour scheme, it does look rather Germanic, and perhaps the twin engine/fin layout made it look like a Do17?

The only survivor of the Hudson had already been shot down by the RAF, whilst in a Hampden, presumably mistaken for a Do17?

In ‘Target England’ by Edmund Blandford (Airlife), a German pilot mentions flying a Wellington over E Anglia & Yorkshire at night, and also a Boston during daylight on a later flight over SE England. No dates are given, nor is there mention of what markings were carried.

Guzzineil, I wonder if the Do17 you mention was in fact a Hampden?

Geoff.

or waiting for Kev & Steve to arrive.

On the ‘109, is that part of the red stripe carried on the nose of JG53 a/c, for part of the BoB, on the panel under the engine? All the illustrations I can find of JG53 a/c with the red stripe show it further back. If this is a JG53 a/c that has the stripe forward of the intake under the engine it might help narrow it down!

The top Heinkel photo is indeed the a/c you say it is. The same photo appears on p540 of ‘The Battle of Britain, then & now’.

Geoff.

This thread seems to have gone rather quiet!

Is this mini-meet still on? Who is coming? Where are we meeting?

Well, if you insist…

Friends of The Shoreham Aircraft Museum – £10 annual membership gets you four issues per year of ‘Friends of The few’ (edited by yours truly) plus free entry to the museum, and the knowledge that you’re helping us to remember those who took part in the Battle of Britain.

Send your cheque, payable to – The Shoreham Aircraft Museum, High Street, Shoreham village, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 7TB.

Geoff.