Hi Dave,
No they’re not D-Day stripes,it’s just the way the camouflage pattern is painted on the top of the right wing. A pic to prove the point…

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=738495&WxsIERv=Nieb%20Ihypna%20O2&WdsYXMg=HX%20-%20Nve%20Sbepr&QtODMg=Hccre%20Urlsbeq%20%28HUS%20%2F%20RTHN%29%20%28pybfrq%29&ERDLTkt=HX%20-%20Ratynaq&ktODMp=Whyl%201992&BP=1&WNEb25u=Nagubal%20aboyr&xsIERvdWdsY=KU558&MgTUQtODMgKE=N%20pybfr%20hc%20ivrj%20bs%20gur%20Ihypna%20nf%20vg%20yvsgf%20bss%20gb%20fgneg%20vgf%20qvfcynl&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=1972&NEb25uZWxs=2004-12-21%2000%3A00%3A00&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=&static=yes&width=1030&height=670&sok=JURER%20%20%28ZNGPU%20%28ert%29%20NTNVAFG%20%28%27%2B%22KU558%22%27%20VA%20OBBYRNA%20ZBQR%29%29%20%20BEQRE%20OL%20cubgb_vq%20QRFP&photo_nr=11&prev_id=745805&next_id=737212&size=L

Cheers Daz,a classic pic as you say. There was an excellent article on 611’s CO of the time SqnLdr Jack Charles in Aeroplane last month,with this photo included. The article states that Charles’ personal aircraft was FY-Y,so it seems odd that FY-F should be leading the formation in this photo.

An excellent piccy of Hawg Wild has just appeared on Airliners.net.The pic was taken at Keflavic duringa break in her ferry flight to Duxford…

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=788930&WxsIERv=Obrvat%20O-29N%20Fhcresbegerff&WdsYXMg=Hagvgyrq%20Vzcrevny%20Jne%20Zhfrhz&QtODMg=Xrsynivx%20%28XRS%20%2F%20OVXS%29&ERDLTkt=Vprynaq&ktODMp=Bpgbore%2012%2C%201978&BP=1&WNEb25u=Onyqhe%20Firvaffba&xsIERvdWdsY=44-61748&MgTUQtODMgKE=Gnxra%20qhevat%20gur%20rneyl%20zbeavat%20sebz%20gur%20Jrngure%20Bssvpr%20gbjre.%20V%20frrz%20gb%20erzrzore%20gung%20guvf%20fcbg%20bs%20fhayvtug%20bayl%20ynfgrq%20sbe%20nobhg%2015%20zvahgrf%20be%20fb.%20Vg%20jnf%20ba%20vgf%20jnl%20gb%20gur%20Vzcrevny%20Jnf%20Zhfrhz%20ng%20Qhksbeq.&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=0&NEb25uZWxs=2005-03-05&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=11225&static=yes&sok=%20BEQRE%20OL%20cubgb_vq%20QRFP&photo_nr=1&prev_id=&next_id=788424&tbl=WARBIRD&size=L

As I understand it,the former WoGB airframes were carefully dismantled and inhibited for long term storage.IIRC,when the PR.XI was sold and re-activated in 2000 she was found to be in pretty much spotless condition,save some moisture in her wooden prop blades which were replaced.
I stand corrected on ‘969’s public appearances,glad she was seen out and about more than once,and good to hear that there may be some developments in the near future.

I think the year those photo’s were taken was 1992,the same year Diamond Lil attended the show.This was one of the first airshows I ever attended and I think it was the only time SM969 appeared in public.I have a couple of albums’ worth of photo’s of the show,including some of ‘969 and the other WoGB Spits,but they’re in deep storage at the mo.I’ve been meaning to dig them out and share them for ages,hopefully I’ll get round to it before too long.

“…along with a Harvard, Chipmonk, NW Air Ambulance and more…”

And there was me thinking you only find chip monks in fryeries…;)

The removal of props,wheels,rudders etc was done by the Allies once the aircraft were captured,rather than by the Germans beforehand. The allied authorities didn’t want anyone getting any ideas about going for a quick flight in one and ending up killing themselves and/or others.