Bob,

Pleased you liked the photos. At least they didn’t show any mistakes in your model. I bet it would look good with the code letters outlined as per the photo.

Geoff.

Hi Jerry,

I believe we corresponded many moons ago, when I was researching the history of 131 Sqdn?

Yes it is Ted.

Re NX-U, writing on the back of Cliff Rudland’s copy said it was done at Laval, though Le Mans was the airfield where 131 did the straffing.

Geoff.

There’s always one that has to be different. MD183 in what I assume to be standard low-altitude colours, though whether the underside was repainted as well… The reason for the change may have been the fact that the squadron’s Mk VIIs saw little use at high-altitude, operating as ‘normal’ Spitfires. Don’t know if any more of the 131 sqdn VIIs underwent the same change.

I’ve no idea when the change was made. MD183 was delivered new to the squadron, and there’s nothing on the Movement card to indicate it went to an MU etc. for repair and was repainted at the same time, not that that means it didn’t! Possible date for the photo is 24/8/44 when one of the squadron’s VIIs was flown for the press.

The Mk VIIs all arrived brand new, and without sqdn markings. If only we could read the stores number on the paint tin, we could answer DOUGHNUT’s question about the colour of the code letters.

The Spitfire in the background is one of the squadron’s about to be replaced Mk IXs.

Jur,

G-AOEN was indeed c/n 502, according to the source mentioned in my last post. As it was almost certainly photographed at an airshow, I’m assuming (based partly on your last post) that it was painted up in these colours by Percival, perhaps for an ‘Farnborough’ type display.

Geoff.

Glad you like the photos, as for where/when,

1) Harrowbeer, sometime between 24/3/44 & 23/4/44. On the latter date ‘Token 46’MB935, and W/O Douglas Frederick Phillips (Aus) (401394), aged 25, failed to return from a patrol. Thought to have flown into the sea whilst descending through very low cloud & hit the sea.

Harrowbeer is now a common, and it seems that many of the blast pens still survive. It would probably be possible to located the same spots today, & take a comparison photo (then & now), hint hint!

2) Same location supposedly. Note naval ground crew! Looks to have D-day stripes on the wing so post D-day.

3) ‘U’ of 131 sqdn, pos MD168 (most likely), 160, or 173. Damage sustaned whilst straffing ‘Laval airfield’ but more likely Le Mans airfield, 12/6/44.

4) No info on this one, I’m afraid.

5) Harrowbeer again. MD123 was lost on the 12/6/44, Flt/Lt Vincent Kenneth Moody (hence NX-M!) (Can) (J/15362), O/C ‘A’ flt shot down & killed by flak, aged 24, whilst straffing Le Mans airfield.

6) Harrowbeer, taken between 26/2/44 & 5/6/44. Full code was NX-E.

7) No info again.

As can be seen by these photos, No 131 sqdn painted their D-day stripes much too thin, and pretty roughly too in some cases.

Geoff.

and just to bring the 170 up

I nearly posted the Blenheim one, mine’s obviousy from a different batch, the roundel isn’t so close to the bottom of the patch.

I hope we get some from the seventies, or earlier!