Some nice photos here Cliff

In the current edition of FlyPast magazine (July) there is an excellent article with photos on one of the remaining “Aldon” Messerschmidtts -N2231 which is now based at Cable Airport, Uplands, California as part of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron, Commemorative Air Force. This is the same aircraft as the one which I saw as HB-DUB flying into Heston Airport near my home in 1950 when I was a schoolboy. One of the three Me.108’s that Harold J. Aldington sold to Switzerland that year, this is a survivor and has been well maintained and renovated recently by the CAF to their credit, flying this January at an air show. Going back in years, according to an Internet source the “Royal Air Force impounded four Bf 108s on the outbreak of World War II and put into service, where they were designated Messerschmitt Aldon.” It seems possible that if this was the case, that one of these aircraft might have been used as spares since it would appear that the three aircraft that went to Switzerland were the main part of the “Aldon” squadron initially based at Hendon.
If anyone can enlighten me on the following, I have a copy of the Impressments Log, page 121 which has some history of these three Me.108’s and also shows a photo of Aldon DK280 flying near Andover in 1941 in camouflage colours. The photo is by courtesy of “The Aeroplane”. I would love to know exactly which month or even which year this refers to, so that I can delve further into the history of these aircraft

Many thanks for sending these pictures redvanner. Good to see that this vintage aircraft is being well looked after by the Foundation. Similarly N2231 is likewise being maintained in the U.S.A by the Commonwealth Air Force who still fly it on occasions at their air shows. I first saw this aircraft as a youngster just becoming interested in aviation, when it circuited very low a couple of times near to my home at Heston in 1950 as HB-DUB before it landed at the then officially closed Heston Airport. Perhaps the pilot had meant to navigate to Croydon and had lost his bearings (no doubt this was originally G-AKZY owned previously by Air Couriers at Croydon before the sale by Harold J.Aldington to Switzerland.) There was a short amount of airspace left between Heston Airport and the main northern approach to Heathrow 27R ? to allow for some tight manoevring. Later this aircraft was re-registered as HB-ESK and based at Grenchen, Switzerland

G-AFZO sold to Switzerland as HB-ESM in 1950 at Ascona eventually found its way back to Germany as D-ESBH where it can be seen here in this Air Britain photo with the Messerschmidtt Foundation at Berlin in 1998. http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1326701/