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BoB 257 Squadron Codes and Serials


RussG

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Hi,

 

I am interested in building a 257 Squadron Hurricane from the early Battle of Britain period (May, June and July 1940) but I need to tie the serial numbers with the individual code letters. I wondered if anyone on the forum would have access to this information; I have tried the 257 ORBs but they only list the serial numbers and there are no photographs of 257 Hurricanes (at least that I can find) from this period.

 

Many thanks in advance,

 

Russ

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Maybe something in the series of Combat Archive books being published on the Battle Britain, but not likely as it is a common problem of finding notes that do not include both the serial and aircraft code.  You won't find anything for May as 257 was flying Spitfires then.  The following month they began to replace with Hurricanes, and only on 1st July were they declared officially operational.

 

BofBCombatArchiveVol1-510x658.jpgBofBCombatArchiveVol2a-510x658.jpg  

 

regards,

Jack

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Rawlings' Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Squadrons (2nd ed) gives the following Hurricane I serial/code correlations, operated during the periods Jun 40 to Jun 41 and (surprisingly) Apr-Jul 42:

 

P3174 to 257 7/40 as DT-S

P3175 DT-S

P3578 DT-V to 257 8/40.  Shot down 3/9/40.

P3620 DT-M to 257 7/40 as DT-M

P3705 DT-B to 257 8/40 as DT-B.

R4088 DT-T

R4190 DT-Y

V6604 DT-T to 257 10/40 as DT-T

V6795 DT-E to 257 10/40 as DT-E

V6873 DT-O to 257 11/40 as DT-O

V7137 DT-G to 257 11/40 as DT-G

V7296 DT-Z to 257 11/40 as DT-Z

V7607 DT-H to 257 11/40 as DT-H

W9130 DT-K to 257 3/41 as DT-K

 

 

Edited by Seahawk
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That is first class information Seahawk, exactly what I was looking for!

 

Can I ask, does Rawlings give the similar information for the Spitfires that operated with 257 Squadron?

 

Thanks again,

 

Russ

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Alas, no: not a single one.  He gives no more serial/code correlations for 257 Sq until partway through the Typhoon era.

 

I have edited the Hurricane post with the months in which the aircraft were taken on charge by 257 Sq where that info is available from Francis Mason's The Hawker Hurricane (Aston, 1987) to help you home in on candidate airframes for the period of interest to you.

Edited by Seahawk
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3 hours ago, JackG said:

Maybe something in the series of Combat Archive books being published on the Battle Britain, but not likely as it is a common problem of finding notes that do not include both the serial and aircraft code.  You won't find anything for May as 257 was flying Spitfires then.  The following month they began to replace with Hurricanes, and only on 1st July were they declared officially operational.

 

BofBCombatArchiveVol1-510x658.jpgBofBCombatArchiveVol2a-510x658.jpg  

 

regards,

Jack

wow - these look cool - are they available on Amazon maybe...

...how many are there in the series - are they recent or quite old...

...questions - so many questions - thanks for posting.

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....And once you buy the current five volumes of these, then you'll want the 11 volumes of the Luftwaffe Crash Archive that Wing Leader publish as well! I did! Cracking books and essential for any BoB enthusiast (although the Crash Archive series covers the entire war, the first four volumes or so cover the 39 to 40 period)

 

NB: I am not in any way affliated with Wing Leader Publications. They've just had an awful lot of my money! :blush:

Edited by fightersweep
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