The difference in dates is a common occurance He was killed on a raid that took place during the night of the 12th , his aircraft may have been due back during the early hours of the 13th . Bit of a puzzle this one as the codes for 90 Sqn are WA not XY and although 90Sqn was involved in these raids on this night I cannot see your man in the lists yet . “C”flight of 90 Sqn was given the codes XY and in October 1944 became 186 Sqn . I have now found him , the aircraft was a Lancaster 1 , serial HK605 , coded WP-A , take off was at 18.29 . F/L A L Kirsch RCAF , Sgt H W Hazell , F/S V L Wilkinson , F/O R E MacLaren RCAF , F/S R J Winchester , F/S R E Columbus RCAF and F/S M N Huribut RCAF , none survived .

Did DG202 ever wear the colour scheme it now has during its flying career ?

My feelings about the Grace Spitfire are that an owner has the final say , This aircraft has been restored , to an unoriginal configuration , but it does not claim to be anything else and this particular airframe , has and continues to promote the Spitfire and warbirds in general in a very positive manner . Caroline Grace does not seem to miss an opportunity keep the Spitfire and the memory of those that had to use them alive . Spencer Flack had his historic aircraft painted in his own style , this did not distract from the thrill those who saw his displays experienced . On another note , there is an early Meteor , which has been on static display in a UK museum for many years in a Dark Green / Dark Earth colour scheme , I believe that this is an incorrect scheme , I do not think any Meteors were ever in this scheme . However as the airframe has been this colour for maybe 40 odd years does it now have authenticity ?

There is a third Anson under restoration in NZ at Subritzky’s near Dairy Flat on Auckland’s North Shore .

Correct , returned to New Zealand in 1973 , I have visited the UK since but not been back to Eastleigh .

Thanks for that , I was watching one day after heavy rain and a Frieghter made several attempts to take off but could not get airborne from the water logged grass . By 1965 we had moved to London .