Read the forum code of contact
By: - 26th January 2010 at 00:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Does anyone have info on how to find out the serial No (and eventual fate) of a 121 Eagle Squadron Spitfire Vb code AV-R?
Yes - ask here! It was BM590, named 'Olga' and was well photographed in mid 1942 when based at Southend.
By: - 26th January 2010 at 00:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes - ask here! It was BM590, named 'Olga' and was well photographed in mid 1942 when based at Southend.
Ahh hah!!
Now, I found a profile on the net for BM590, however it had RAF roundels at that time, though I thought it must be a different machine.
Did 121 Eagle Squadron just paint over the roundels and adopt/leave the RAF squadron codes intact?
The nose art also changed from Olga when with our US friends.
By: - 26th January 2010 at 10:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
They generally modified the RAF roundels - painting a white star within the 32" diameter Blue part of the fuselage roundel, filling in the bits between the points with Blue and retaining the outer 2" Yellow ring intact and also the code letters.
Did 121 Eagle Squadron just paint over the roundels and adopt/leave the RAF squadron codes intact?
By: - 26th January 2010 at 10:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
As long as it was 121 Squadron, RAF roundels would have been carried; only from 29-9-42, when it was transferred to the U.S.A.A.C., as 335(P) Squadron, would the star have been added.
Edgar
By: - 26th January 2010 at 14:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for the replies Gents:
This is one of the pics I know of, I presume that this is whilst with 335 Squadron as the the roundel has beem altered. (The nose art has also changed)
Are there any other known photos of the airframe when painted with the stars and of this different nose art?
So this is definately BM 590, any idea of it's eventual fate?
Edit: (from aviationarchaeology.com)
421007 Spitfire Vb BM-590 13PhotoSq 7PhRecGp Sta234,Mount Farm,Oxfordshire,ENG BOEF 5 Luber, Vernon N. ENG Oxon, Oxfordshire, ENG
Appears to have crashed on 7th Oct 42 following engine failure with the pilot bailing out. I see it was then attached to 7th Photo Recc group, is that likely for a Vb to become a PR variant?
The pilot illustrated is Don Willis, he started off flying and fighting with the Finnish airforce, then escaped to Norway in a hurry where he then fought with them also, then escaped to Britain and joined the fight there. Quite a story in itself.
image source National Archives (NARA)
[ATTACH]180997[/ATTACH]
By: - 26th January 2010 at 15:34 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
While people are extracting Spitfires from their photo albums, is it too much to hope that someone might have a picture of BM530?
Adrian
By: - 26th January 2010 at 16:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for the replies Gents:This is one of the pics I know of, I presume that this is whilst with 335 Squadron as the the roundel has beem altered. (The nose art has also changed)
Are there any other known photos of the airframe when painted with the stars and of this different nose art?
So this is definately BM 590, any idea of it's eventual fate?
Edit: (from aviationarchaeology.com)
421007 Spitfire Vb BM-590 13PhotoSq 7PhRecGp Sta234,Mount Farm,Oxfordshire,ENG BOEF 5 Luber, Vernon N. ENG Oxon, Oxfordshire, ENG
Appears to have crashed on 7th Oct 42 following engine failure with the pilot bailing out. I see it was then attached to 7th Photo Recc group, is that likely for a Vb to become a PR variant?The pilot illustrated is Don Willis, he started off flying and fighting with the Finnish airforce, then escaped to Norway in a hurry where he then fought with them also, then escaped to Britain and joined the fight there. Quite a story in itself.
image source National Archives (NARA)
[ATTACH]180997[/ATTACH]
If I remember rightly, some of the American PR units kept Spitfires for training and/or hacks. I've seen pics of clipped-wing Spit Vs, minus armament, used for these purposes (again, if I remember right) in one of the Flypast Specials.
Posts: 532
By: AndyG - 25th January 2010 at 23:56
Does anyone have info on how to find out the serial No (and eventual fate) of a 121 Eagle Squadron Spitfire Vb code AV-R?
I have pics and of the then pilot whom survived the war, though be nice to put some detail to the airframe.