Can anyone help with a serial/code tie-up please?

[zebra]

Hi everyone. I'm starting out on my new Airfix Walrus and thinking about the colour scheme. As I have a bit of a Manx theme going on, and there was a detachment from 275 Sqn based at Andreas between November 1941 and April 1944, I'd like to build one of the Andreas based machines. If I can't find out anything specifically about the Andreas detachment, I might go for anything from 275 Sqn on the basis that it would be fairly representative of the aircraft used on the detachment.

 

I've not found much on these Walruses. There's a photo here with a Walrus in the background coded W (presumably PV-W since PV was the squadron code - there's someone standing in the way of where the PV would be) but that's all I've been able to find.

 

Can anyone help with a serial for Walrus W or PV-W of 275 Sqn please?

 

If not does anyone here have any info on serials and codes of any other 275 Sqn Walruses and, if possible, the ones detached to Andreas?

 

cheers

Z

Edited October 5, 2017 by zebra
changed title

[Ivor Ramsden]

From the 275 Squadron Operations Record Book, Walruses W3037 and W2746 were in use at Andreas between October 1943 and April 1944. W2746 was the one which appeared most frequently. Most flying was done in Ansons.

There is no record of individual aircraft letters. 

 

Edit, I've just found an earlier ORB which records that LAC MATTHEWS (the bod from whom the picture of Walrus "W" comes ) flew in Walruses L2282 and W3037 whilst he was at Andreas in the early part of 1943 so it might be safe to assume that aircraft "W" is one of them.

Edited October 5, 2017 by Ivor Ramsden

[zebra]

Many, many thanks @Ivor Ramsden!

 

I think this means there's a 50/50 chance that W3037 was PV-W. I'll take those odds!  I reckon I can make those code letters by cutting up and rearranging the yellow codes from the ASR option in the kit (or at least between the two sheets I've got) so looks like I'm adding to my Manx collection.

 

cheers

Z

[Seahawk]

Air Britain The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force lists L2207 as 275's PV-Z.  JDR Rawlings' Coastal Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF agrees about L2207 and also lists HD293, PV-S; HD929 PV-Z (again!) and W2746 PV-K.  But NB no explicit correlation between any of these aircraft and the Andreas period.

 

Franks: Another Kind of Courage (stories of the UK-based Walrus ASR squadrons) records 275 Sq rescues involving L2282, R6548, HD823, HD908, HD929 and HD930 but all these took place in the Channel between May-Jul 1944 so won't be relevant to the Andreas era.  And no codes listed anyway.

 

There is an undated  side view of HD293 PV-S in the Air Britain book (1st Ed only): it bears 4" ROYAL NAVY and serial, the codes barely show up so are presumably Red and it appears to be in the 4-colour shadow compensating scheme.  Codes and individual letter between roundel and trailing edge of wing.

 

HTH 

Edited October 9, 2017 by Seahawk

[zebra]

Thanks Seahawk. So it seems likely that PV-W was either L2282 or W3037 then. I could build W2746 as we know the code for sure. On the other hand there's at least some photographic evidence of PV-W's colour scheme (albeit not a good photo and not the whole aircraft) so I think I'll carry on with the plan for that one, and take a punt on it being W3037.

 

I think I've seen that photo of HD293 online. As it's a mark II I'd need to do something to represent the wooden fuselage which would mean losing all the nice detail on the Airfix kit, so maybe that's something to do another time.