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MY GRAND FATHER SERVICED SKALSKI,S SPITFIRE! Hi Cromm, Thought I would give you a little something in return for your hard work on that beautiful Kite. My Grandfather (in-law) Dennis (92 yrs) who is alive and in good health serviced Skalski,s Spitfire in North Africa. He worked with Skalski as his first posting to a front line fighter squadron. Dennis remembers the whole squadron arriving with the Spitfire MkV Trop at the very first front line airbase with the rotation pilots arriving by lorry - the rest they say is history! Sadley Dennis does not have any photos of this period I would like to give you an extract from his memoirs I had the pleasure of listening too for the period March 1943 - May 1943. I then varfied the timeline of the PFT as best I could to get the airfields as they moved from strip to strip. ....Enjoy ""Aba Suwayr 104 Maintenance Unit(MU)(LG 205)(23.3.42 - March 1943 When Dennis arrived at the Port Ismalia just 60 miles East of Cairo he and his fellow ground crew personnel were greeted by a welcoming party from his next airbase Abu Suwayr or officially coded a LG-205 (Landing Ground). This was an established large British Empire RAF airbase from pre-was days and such was its size with multiple runways the base was chosen as a launch pad by 6 squadrons of the ninth USAF bomber squadrons late November 1942 to January 1943. Aba Suwayr is located just 50 miles from the Mediterranean Sea and still within the bombing and strafing range of any ambitious Luftwaffe attack but would be foolish to attempt such an attack such was the build up of military hardware at Helwan, Heliopolis and Abu Suwayr main bases not too mention the quick dispersal “fighter” satellite airbases occupying areas in between. This area was also the final destination of the famous Takoradi Run which was supplying hundreds of allied fighter and medium bomber aircraft from Ghana. The whole area of Giza, Minya and Suez regions of Egypt were relatively safe where allied squadrons could re-group, maintain sick aircraft, receive new ones rotate pilots and personnel ready to go West to forward operation airbases. Dennis and the other ground crew were quick to get to work initially maintaining the trusty and tough Hawker Hurricane11bs "Hurribombers" that were being rotated from the front line. Dennis chatted with the pilots about this aircraft and they loved it, it was tough, it got you home and the cannons when fired gave a right old kick you almost felt you were stopping in mid air! After spending just 7 months at Aba Suweyr with the (MU) unit his call came to join his new squadron in the Libyan desert. Little did Dennis know but he would eventually be joining PFT (Polish Fight Team) or also known as “Skalski,s circus” commanded by Stanisław Skalski DFC a Polish ace of Battle of Britain notoriety. The PFT where currently preparing themselves at RAF West Kirby just outside Liverpool, England ready to board their Gibraltar bound ship. RAF 145 squadron PFT “Skalski,s circus” March 1943 - June 1943. Dennis was to travel North West the 140 miles by Lorry to Alexandra port on the Mediterranean Sea to board a troopship to just 8 miles from Libyan Tunisia border Abu Kammash. This port is a 1000 miles West and just 80 miles West of Tripoli to join newly formed "C flight" of RAF 145 squadron at a forward airbase at Bu Grara. This was another 80 miles West by lorry. The PFT was originally formed at RAF Northolt the previous November. The RAF wanted to utilise the tenacious Polish pilots that had proved themselves during the Battle of Britain and the defence of England. This new squadron would pool the talents of these airmen and the Polish ace Stanisław SKALSKI DFC would personally interview each pilot. From a group of seventy Polish candidates they were whittled down to thirty and from there down to fifteen airmen with which Sklaski the CO (Commanding Officer) would be the sixteenth pilot. The PFT would be attached to C Flight of 145 RAF squadron for organisational purposes as it was easier to attach it to an existing unit, than to form a new one. These airmen and their Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop aircraft travelled by ship to Gibraltar where bye they flew to Maison Blanche and then on to their forward airbase at Ben Gardane. The PFT C Flight squadron arrived in early March at Ben Gardane Tunisia lead by the PFT CO Stanislaw SKALSKI. They were to become known as "Skalski,s Circus". The PFT were to cause the ground troops and Luftwaffe problems. They fought their own way, unorthodox, unconventional even dirty the opponent might say! Dennis was assigned to the CO, SKALSKI,s Spitfire (ZX-1) and his deputy KROWL (ZX-6). Skalski knew enough English to converse with the comms operator with no problems but Dennis could not speak Polish but a common bond was made with this partnership by hand signals, gestures with the odd English word! Dennis really enjoyed his time with these maverick Polish pilots and they were very relaxed about drill as long as the aircraft were good so they were too. Once a Polish pilot in his haste flew off with one of the ground crew hanging on the Spitfire tail, he realised and safely brought the aircraft back down such was the expanse of the large desert strips! Dennis only remembers one incident where one pilot did not come back as he had broken the cardinal rule and broke formation in his red "Polish" hot headed mist, he was pounced upon by three ME 109,s and crash landed. Dennis thought that was the end of him but recently I found out he survived and a photo of his aircraft bullet ridden, he became a prisoner and lived to a good age in Poland after the war..Dennis was chuffed about that. At the time SKALSKI was furious! Before March was out the PFT received their first Mk.1X "Sklaski was a quiet man, he did,nt say much, very smart. His men were keen, Skalski quiet softly spoken but direct and as long as his Merlin was working ok he had no problems, he gave me two fingers once with a smile as he taxied...not swearing! but two ME109.s for the squadron." Dennis remembers SKALSKI quiet softly spoken but direct and as long as his Merlin was working ok he had no problems". Desert life in a forward fighter squadron was usually very early starts. Four a.m. was not unheard of (if the pilots had a number of sorties planned). Get a hot cup of tea or coffee from the field canteen often shared with SKALSKI and the other PFT. Check over SKALSKI or KROW LS aircraft depending who was flying that morning. They were very keen to get airborne so I had to start and warm up the engine and run it at 1100rpm a little choke (not to much in the desert) or else the Merlin would produce a large backfire flame! "enough too soil your underwear" quote Dennis! I would sit in the pilots seat and check the instruments to make sure engine temperature, oil pressure was ok, quick glances off to the mess tent and my pilot would often be watching me start up, thumbs up from me and this would be acknowledged with a raised cup. By now the other six Spitfires had gone through the same procedure and all would be warming up as the sun broke on the horizon casting long shadows on the cool desert sand. When you hear six Merlins warming up at five am it stirs your soul. Once out of the propeller wash I would often take a moment, I often cried with pride when that six harmony Merlin tone resonates and awakens you like no other sound. The pilots would be briefed by the CO the night before and again in the morning if anything had changed and any last minutes chats between themselves at this stage would have to conducted shouting into each other's ears! The pilots would then board the aircraft and get strapped in. This would be Dennis,s first time he strapped in a operational front line fighter pilot. He did do this back at Abu Suwayr with the Hurri bomber pilots but now it was for real. Dennis would strap in SKALSKI and go through the standard drill, canopy pulled forward slightly but not closed, that was left to the pilot, then step off the wing . Once out of the propeller wash I would often take a moment, I often cried with pride when that six harmony Merlin tone resonates and awakens you like no other sound. Watching these fighter pilot gladiators, all in line, Merlin revs raised all in unison and off they taxi..then quietness! My job for that morning was done, now it was their turn. Sometime later the comms would inform the ground crew that the squadron was returning. We would be at the ready..listening, here they are, first a distant tone of one Merlin and a dot just above the horizon followed by another, then another in the circuit. The quiet of the desert was once again broken. One by one the Spitfires landed with revs dropping some cracked a loud backfire, this was all part of the Merlin Harmony. Dennis would be listening for any change in the engine tone, blowing exhaust things of this nature. In wetter muddy conditions sometimes the ground crew would be required to sit on the tail to keep it hugging the ground as the pilot requires more revs to get through it and this would lift the tail thus making it difficult to turn the aircraft. Once the aircraft was stationary and engine turned off then it was meet and greet the pilot. Sometimes you let him have a moment in the cockpit as body language and your intuition tells you so, such was the closeness you developed in the partnership. Once cockpit lid pulled back then eye contact made, sometimes you knew he had a rough time, sometimes the pilots clothing would be wet through. I was the last person to see my pilot off and the first to greet him. What happens to him and the aircraft was out of my control. The main thing was your pilot and your plane came back. Sometimes I would have a nice cup of coffee with his two sugars at the ready in a metal flask as he steps down from the aircraft so he can wind down from whatever he has just gone through! SKALSKI never broke the tab, the tab is a seal to be broken when you "push through the gate" used as a last resort "get out of trouble" accelerator lever to rev the engine into the red line. If the tab was ever broken then the aircraft would have to have a full engine service, a job a forward airbase could well do without so preservation was the the key of aircraft and self in these extremes. The ground crew were mostly English with some Scottish and gelled extremely well. The aircraft assigned for 145 case 12 VTrop Spitfires allocated initially. The next batch of fighter aircraft the far superior Mk IXs followed on 23rd March, with six for PFT and six for 92 Sqn, and further four on 24th March for the PFT. Both batches were flown over by Polish and British pilots from Algiers, Maison Blanche base. Such was the progress of the allied advance these aircraft could be delivered to the front line directly via the mediterranean avoiding the long way around the coast of Africa and then the Ghana to Egypt Takoradi Run. The 16 pilots of the PFT were split into 2 groups or flights, each flight of 6 doing a rotation in normal circumstances. We used to fill up the aircraft in the evening in the cooler air as it was far too hot in the afternoons to play around with 100 octane fuel in the desert heat. I used to keep busy in general even when their was nothing needed doing. "I actually sanded down in equal stages the leading edge of Skalski,s Spitfire wings. He told me it gave him 5 mph more." From here Dennis would travel and support his squadron in the following months at the following airfields. A pattern emerges with each forward airbase when a fighter squadrons pulls out of an airfield that has a sufficient length of airstrip the USAAF would evaluate it to occupy with their vast military hardware assets. If the base happens to be near the sea then all the better logistically. These bases would soon be occupied by troop carrying aircraft to medium to large bomber aircraft ready to launch North to Sicily and Italy. March-April 1943: Bou Grara Airfield Tunisia. The PFT were on the move with other allied squadrons to squeeze the Germans back North and so to the Northern most Tunisian peninsula. All PFT personnel travelled the 103 miles North around the Gulf of Gabes to ready for the next forward airbase La Fauconnerie. Bou was shared with another Fighter squadron, the 57th Fighter Group flying P-40 Warhawks. It was a temporary airfield built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, used by the USAAF Ninth Air Force. April 1943: La Fauconnerie, Tunisia. Located in the Sfax district, this base would see the PFT share with RAF 601 sqn the City of London squadron flying Spitfire Mk.V Trop. It was probably at this base when Stanisław SKALSKI would have met the 601 squadron personnel. Skalski would eventually go on to be the Commanding Officer of 601 sqn later in the Summer of this year. The next base awaits and PFT were on the move again North just 45 miles to Goubrine. Also with 601 squadron was newly decorated DFC RAF pilot William WHITAMORE who would later go on to be the CO of 81 squadron from Malta. He was awarded the DFC a month earlier for his part in fighting the Luftwaffe in Operation Torch. April-May 1943: Goubrine, Goubrine Airfield, Tunisia. Located in the Monastir district, this was to be PFT,s last airbase they flew from in anger before the remaining Luftwaffe were either shot down or fled to Sicily and Italy. Such was the size of this airbase from the 25th June 1943 the USAAF Twelth Aire Force would use this base for C-47 Skytrain through to September. After the Americans moved out, the airfield was dismantled and abandoned. May - June 1943: Hergla, Hergla Airfield, Tunisia. Located in the Sousse district and on the coastal Gulf of Hammamet . This was as far North as the PFT were going to go before flying South East to Ben Gardane. As an established very large base it would be later used after June by the USAAF 12th, 98th, 340th Bombardment Group using Liberators and B-25 Mitchells. Primary targets from Hergla were in Sicily and mainland Italy. Dennis at this stage would receive orders to leave the PFT at Hergla and his last memories of the PFT flights were when he saw them flying off from Hergla and they waived their wings a couple of times after they took off. They were to fly South East 200 miles to Ben Gardane ready for their eventual hop over to Malta. Dennis would travel by lorry to the port of Sousse just 30 miles South ready to embark a ship bound for Malta. Dennis was ordered to not speak to the locals and was issued with an American badge to put on his uniform as this was a French colonial country and politically it was easier for Allied personnel to disguise themselves as US personnel. Though Dennis did not know at this time the squadron he was to join RAF 81 squadron would be busy in this period operating protective sorties along the Tunisian peninsula and provide air protection for Winston Churchill's Victory parade day."" The image (below) shows Dennis with the "fruits of success" a bunch of grapes each! whilst sat on a spare kite (ZX-8) ex PFT at Bari Foggia Italy sometime between July-August 1943. Dennis was with 81sqdn then and we think they had ZX 8 as a back up still in desert scheme and livery. Also we think that there is a Volkes filter on the deck at the front of kite,s prop. Hope you and the members like enjoy this little bit of nostalgia! Regards Ian

Hi Graham, Thank-you for that compliment. I thought I better cover 145 sqd PFT as well as his Burma campaign as this timeline is also generating some interest "especially with our Polish friends". These people are not with us forever and Dennis spent 6 hrs in Hull general on Tuesday after falling flat on his face! BUT still answered the 6 questions yesterday from a member from Poland...what a trooper! He is genuinely chuffed from the Britmodellers attention! Regards ian

CORRECTION - question 2 in brackets is correction. 2. Were the aircraft actually assigned to individual pilots or was it more like any pilot flying any aircraft available? "In 145,s case the 12 allocated VTrop Spitfires were on the whole shared amongst the 16 pilots. The 16 pilots were split into 2 groups each 6 doing a rotation. In Skalski,s case ZX-1 & his deputy Krol ZX-6 these aircraft were assigned to them as "their" aircraft leaving the remaining (14 PILOTS OF 16) for rotation amongst (THE REMAINING 10 SPITFIRES) Dennis looked after these 2 aircraft". Ian c/o Dennis

Hello Britmodellers, My Grandfather (in-law) was with 145 Sqd (PFT) in North Africa. This thread is too help with a little real life account of a young English Flt Engineer looking after Skalski & Krols Merlins as his first assignment. The entire ground crew were English and were a close nit bunch working hard to keep the Spitfires working. I have included Q&A (Blue text) from Polish members to bring dialogue up to date. Please feel free to answer the questions i have for Brit members...I know Brit members know their history and if this little input helps with any 145 Spitfire builds then great, its just a little more information for you.....enjoy! Mechanic - Dennis came to 145Sqd after he finished his MU training (Maintenance Unit) in Egypt. He went on his own and from this unit to work with 145Sqd all English ground crew. He volunteered for this as he was ready and wanted in on the "action". “The Polish certainly delivered plenty of action he said”. MU Training just before assigned to 145 sqd The ground crew arrived at their airfield a couple of days before the PFT. They quickly got to know the tenacity of the Poles and easy nature outside the cockpit! “as long as the aircraft were tip top they were happy”. “Always eager to fly and get at the enemy” Hi, Thanks for your email, most interesting! There is nothing on PFT (as Polish flight is commonly known, usually dubbed Skalski's Circus) ground crew, so this is very precious information. As you probably know, there are no PFT pilots alive, Martel was the last, and Skalski predeceased him. There are many questions to be asked. What Dennis had been doing, ie. What kind of fitter he was and did he work on a particular plane or on all of them? Does he remember any other ground crew? Does he have any photos? I have some of PFT, so I can send them in turn. Best wishes Does Dennis remember anything particular in regard of Skalski? Any story? Also, did he recognise 'his' pilots, or alternately, does he remember number of 'his' plane, he serviced? Does he remember any of his colleagues? I mean fellow mechanics? It would be nice to establish a list of them, as they are not mentioned by name in the Operations Record Book of 145 Sqn. Skalski - I have visited Dennis this morning and we talked about 145Sqd. Dennis mentioned that he was "Skalski, s" engine man so he would have got to know him better than the other pilots! This came as a big surprise to me as Skalski is one of the No1 Polish pilot aces. “A Quiet deep thinking man small in stature but very well respected by ground crew and fellow pilots”. Polish pilot killed - Dennis recalls a Polish fighter pilot getting killed as he "broke away" from the STD 6 formation and went after 2 109,s. Polish pilot killed - actually he was not. His name Mieczyslaw Wyszkowski, and he went after two 109s indeed. Bounced, wounded, he force landed his aircraft and was taken PoW. Returned to the UK after the war, and in the late 1940s returned to Poland. He passed away in 1970s, but not before he wrote few books about his experiences. Mieczyslaw Wyszkowski - I will ask Dennis if he remembers his name and if this was the pilot - it sounds as it was indeed him! He will be pleased to hear that he survived but was taken prisoner! Mieczyslaw Wyszkowski - I have just phoned Dennis regarding Wyskowski and it was indeed him because he knew he has a surname sounding like ending in "Skalski" and add "Wysko" and you get "Wyskowski" a very young pilot, intelligent and full of fighting spirit. He was very pleased to hear that he survived the attack, at the time they all thought he had died. Human ballast – Ground crew had to jump on many occasions from the rear tail wings inc Dennis on one occasion – “they were eager to up”! Cry with pride – Dennis recalls actually crying with pride when all the Merlin engines fired up one by one! Spitfire’s colours - Dennis remembers the Beige and dark brown with red spinners and of course the Polish logo. Hello Franek, Whilst Dennis was in N.Afrika with 81sqd his superiors asked for volunteers to be with 145sqd Polish, so he thought it would be interesting! He can’t remember the exact Spitfire, it war a "ZX" something (now known as Zx-1 then 5 & Knolls ZX-6), he has an excellent memory, he might remember soon. He remembers a Skalski though! I am concentrating on 145 now as i have just finished his Burma campaign "op Broadway". Dennis liked the Polish pilot as they were easy going and he would have liked staying with them through Italy and Europe. I will find out more, send me any photos to show Dennis and he may remember more! Regarding his planes, the first was Mk V Trop ZX-1 - I do not have any pictures. Then, there was Mk IX ZX-1, until lost by another pilot, force landed at Gabes. The colour photo shows the aircraft during repairs there. It did not return. Then Skalski flew ZX-5, and then ZX-6. Mechanics - does he remember any other men, their names? Perhaps he has any photos by any chance? Colours - if you have a closer look, you will find that ZX-1 (obvious - colour pic), ZX-5 and ZX-0 look very much desert scheme or beige and brown. ZX-6 looks distinctly different however, as is unmarked Mk IX of LC Wade. Most likely they were in dark green, brown and sky scheme, but there are some suggestions, they could have been in dark blue-grey, brown, sky scheme as used on some Malta Spitfires. Another option is that different batch of beige and brown was used, hence different look. I can imagine after so many years it is hard to remember, though. Other Spitfire - Dennis also looked after Skalski,s next in command Spitfire ZX..? in the sqd, maybe you also know who this is ? Skalski's deputy was Waclaw Krol I think. He was one of the few, and already an experienced ace. Actually, he was angry to not be the leader! He mostly flew ZX-4, and I think he mentioned he had a Scottish fitter. Mind you the team was not ordinary unit, but rather a sort of blacksheep squadron, formed of the men just too eager too fights. They were not much on the drill side. Krol - I will mention "Krol" and see if it was his Spitfire he also helped out with ! This photo looks like a 145sqd Spitfire but as the photo says it was taken at Foggia - Italy (Dennis says) so it must be a 81sqd (FL - 8 ) as apposed to a (ZX - 8) of 145 sqd.....can you help ? ps...looks like a tropical filter is on the ground in front of the prop! Possible 145 spitfire (ZX-8) with 81sqd....any ideas? Geez, it knocked me down! Few points. It is Mark V, clearly, with three bladed prop. It has a digit. It is important, because PFT, being C Flight was cyphers rather than letters. When they were disbanded, their Mk IXs went to other squadrons, and a number of them adopted digits rather than letters to differentiate them from Mk Vs, like 43 or 601 Sqn. So a Mk V with a digit would have been unusual. Also, 81 Sqn already had Mk IXs, and used letters. Please, note, the style of code letters is completely different, and the style of '8' is consistent with PFT markings! If it is ZX-8 indeed, then it seems it is ES133. It did little flying. On 23 March: 10.10 - 11.10 Independent cover P/O Kowalski (returned early at 10.35); 13.35 - 13.40 Test F/Lt Horbaczewski; 16.25 - 17.10 Sweep W/O Popek. On 24 March: 10.15 - 11.10 Interception Gabes - Mareth P/O Kowalski; 16.35 - 18.05 Top Cover F/O Wyszkowski. And that was all, they converted to Mk IXs, and continued on them. The photo is of very good quality, and this suggests a pro photographer, rather than any serviceman. There was a visit of photo correspondents in March 1943, and they photographed a number of airmen in front of Wade's ZX-E, so perhaps it was at the time, mechanics got together on one of their planes? Amazing! May I ask for a high quality scan of the picture, please? And are there any more pics? Best wishes Browsed through ER and ES Spitfires, and found only one loss, which would fit. ES114 Vc CBAF M46 33MU 8-11-42 76MU 16-11-42 Guinean 30-11-42 Takoradi NWAfrica FAC2 9-1-43 Middle East 31-3-43 Damaged in air raid Salerno 18-9-43 SOC 1-12-43 Interestingly, ZX-4 was ES214, and the record for it is as follows. ES214 Vc CBAF M46 45MU 21-11-42 222MU 29-11-42 Empire Clive 18-12-42 Takoradi 23-1-43 Middle East 9-2-43 145S Engine cut ditched off Sicily 25-3-43 SOC 10-4-43 It was not uncommon, serials were confused, or dates wrongly entered in record cards. I will try to find my copy of 145 Sqn ORB, and check again, what it says. Certainly, it would be most interesting to try to decipher serial. In your photo, it seems it is just where the shadow of the man is. Very intrigued, to say the least! Franek any comments on this image of possible ex 145 sqd Spitfire ..? How about these questions: 1. When servicing Skalski's and Król's Spitfires did he actually deal directly with the pilots? If he did, what can he tell about them in terms of pilot-ground crew attitude and in terms of their engineering competence? Yes, when Dennis was assigned to Skalski & Krol aircraft Dennis spoke with and communicated "directly" with them, there was no intermediate - "it was direct". "When you are all in the field sharing everything you were all equal as far as the PFT were concerned. Dennis remembers Skalski quiet softly spoken but direct and as long as his Merlin was working ok he had no problems". Sometimes Dennis would wake up at 4am (if they had a number of sorties planned) to check over ZX-1 & 6 with a hot cup of tea from the field canteen "often shared with Skalski and the PFT as they were very keen to get airborne", "then start the engine run it at 1100rpm a little choke (not to much in the desert) or else the Merlin would produce a large backfire flame! Enough too soil your underwear" quote Dennis! Skalski never used the "get out of trouble" accelerator lever as the seal was never broken by Skalski at least while Dennis was with him - testament to his cool flying under duress! To recap the answer Dennis says that the complete English crew (many first assignment) gelled extremely well with PFT - "the comradary he felt was not not the same throughout WW11". 2. Were the aircraft actually assigned to individual pilots or was it more like any pilot flying any aircraft available? "In 145,s case the 12 allocated VTrop Spitfires were on the whole shared amongst the 16 pilots. The 16 pilots were split into 2 groups each 6 doing a rotation. In Skalski,s case ZX-1 & his deputy Krol ZX-6 these aircraft were assigned to them as "their" aircraft leaving the remaining 14 aircraft for rotation amongst the other pilots. Dennis looked after these 2 aircraft". 3. Does he recall victory markings painted on the Polish Spitfires? Did they denote victories of a particular pilot or kills scored in a particular aeroplane? Sorry, forgot to ask that question, will ask him next time! 4. Were the Spitfire IXs of the Polish unit fitted with camera guns? Dennis only remembers the VTrops while he was with them and "they had just guns"! 5. What was the colour scheme of the Mk IXs? Were they all desert camouflage (Middle Stone/Dark Earth over Azure Blue)? Does he recall the Spitfire of S/Ldr Lance Wade (EN186) known informally as the 'Blue Bird'? "Yes, Dark & Light brown , bluish belly"! 6. The 81 Sqn Spitfire Vs in the photos show aircraft ID as a digit rather than letter (FL-4 and FL-8) - was it usual to use digits, or does this actually mean these aircraft were inherited from the Polish flight (which used digits instead of letter as a distinguishing feature)? Asking Dennis about this and he confirmed to me that aircraft from 145 were distributed throughout the other squadrons. In the photo images case FL-4 & 8 were from 145. They must have at this moment in time captured them before being re-badged to proper known 81sqd codes! There may have also been another reason and that was the maintenance records carry on to 81 sqd as clear identification - I need to clarify this with Dennis. 1. Are any of the airfields known in N,Afrika where 145 sqd used ? 2. Is there any known English 145 sqd ground crew members left ? 3. Have you any general info on 145 sqd ? Dennis journey Malta-Burma 81sqd (see link) http:/www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234948039-81-squadron-spitfires-mkv-to-1x-burma-inc-broadway/ Dennis with me and young Ben this Summer......

Enjoy from my grandfather who ended up at broadway 175 miles in the Burmeese jungle keeping Spits working. Much motor info and images when you click below link. Click link http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234948039-81-squadron-spitfires-mkv-to-1x-burma-inc-broadway/

I have released some new images of ww11 Spitfire V to mk1X . These Images are exclusively for Britmodellers to research new Spitfire builds especially the Burma 81sqd mk1X. Much more info on the link below from the WW11 section of this site. my grandfather worked on spits with 145 sqd polish in n.afrika and 81 sqd from n.afrika to Burma ending with broadway deep in the jungle. Hope you like the images and let me know if you liked them! Photo link http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234948039-81-squadron-spitfires-mkv-to-1x-burma-inc-broadway/ regards Ian c/o Dennis (flt engineer raf 41-44)

Hi all, This Spitfire thing is truly thought provoking and always stirs the emotions like no other aircraft. I think I will release Dennis,s personal images from ww11 when I work out this photobucket thing! Britmodeller forum has been a great source of info for Dennis and myself. As a token of respect to members that have helped me and to others wanting some images of Spits in the desert, field and jungle watch this space in the near future...regards Ian c/o Dennis

Flt Engineer Dennis Hawkings 81sqd Malta-Burma & "Broadway" forward airbase Hi, just picking up on this thread...I have spoken with my G/Father Dennis (detail above) about the paint schemes and he said simply dark brown and Green with a bluish underbelly. I have recently ( 1 week ago) talked to him about life with the kites and he said that some kites came in tropical colours when they were rushed through to Kangla. They had a sqd sprayer, he could spray a kite in a couple of hours, he was ordered to drink a pint of milk a day for his health! He had a full spray suit with helmet an electric motor to drive the airbrush. Most spraying dried in 10 minutes in the heat and was almost always conducted outside. He had a template made up for the "Ace of spades" ensignia and the ground crew would ask the sprayer to also put the "ace of spades" ensignia on the lorries attached to the sqd as "bragging rights". Dennis is in great shape mentally and physically so if you have any questions on 145sqd (Polish) and 81sqd Matla - Burma and "Broadway" fire away. I have recently connected Dennis with Alan Peart..wow!! I think both sets of false teeth fell out as they were both at Broadway the morning of 17th March 44. regards Ian

Hello, Newbie question...What kit ? where from ? I,ll work out the "how" when I attempt it.! fantastic job, Are there custom transfers out there so you can play around with different squadrons eg: 145 (Polish) (N.Afrika) and 81sqd "ace of spades" Mk1X(Burma). I like this scale as I want to produce a diorama for the desert and another for Burma "Broadway". The Broadway one depicting 6 Mk1X,s (Dark Brown,Green red spinner) with ground crew preparing pilots for taxi. I am getting info from my granddad who is detailing the strip for me eg: 100 octane barrels stored in trenches safe® from straffing and hot day temperatures. Dennis (rhs in my avatar photo) was there as a kite engine man to Flt off MaClean (SAAF) but with RAF 81sqd. I will be needing any info I can get for the build eg: can you get figures, trucks etc.. in that scale? bye for now...Ian

Likewise, keep in touch, Dennis and his wife are treating my wife and I to a brunch soon which is testiment to his health. Hope I have a good health at that age (90yrs young). He is getting rid of his car (wise move) so they dont have to worry about driving. I have mentioned my wife and have voluntered to do their weekly washing and shop so we will be getting weekly updates on Spits, living in tents, Burma and so on.... best Ian

I will make a note of the attacking aircraft "Oscars" not "Zeros" that Dennis mentioned, I think he mentioned a night attack (or early twilight) as they discovered a Spit with a broken back after a shell burst, again I need to clarify with him. I visit him next week and I think he took a photo of it (with a broken back) I will try and post next week after a scan. I am more certain now that he was indeed posted to Broadway, again, i,ll mention it next week. I,ll also mention the desert camo turnaround replacements. regards Ian

Steve, Many thanks for your prompt reply from N.Z. I will make a note of the books you mentioned. I also find it interesting that they could operate in these hidden away areas in the middle and far east with the basics to keep the aircraft "tip top". Quite often they were releived when they had a spare aircraft to "savage" unquote! and sometimes it was beneficial to not tell the pilots what was happening under the bonnet! as often it was make do and mend. All the lifting was by hand (wing lift and jack for wheelchanges), patching grass runways with rubble and soil, sitting on wings and tail wings for human balast before takeoff,s. listening in to the the spare spits radio headset to get a running compentary of base radar to pilots locating emeny. He respected the polish tenacity (sqd 145) with the Spits and feared theJapaneseZero,s comming in at car height!!, he said they where underated pilots n ground attack roles. Nice sharing some memories from him to you... regards Ian

Hello Russ, My Grandfather worked on this very Spit "FL D". He wrote "D" for Doreen (with pilots permission) for your information. He was with Sqd 81 Spits,Hurricanes & later Thunderbolts for their ground attack role in India/Burma. I could do with making that model... Best regards Ian

Hello Gents, May I pick up the thread of your conversation (7th November 2011). My Granfather ( in law) has pointed out to me today that his name or signature "D.S.Hawkings" is written on the xmas menu in your post. He has just past 90yrs and is fit and healthy I can report to you all. In fact I have just last week taken him and his wife to RAF Coninsby to see the Spits - He loved it! He trained on Blenheims & Hurricanes in the UK (1941 training). After 6 mths he travelled (sailed vis cape horn) to Algiers and worked with Spits on Sqd 81 from Mk1v to mk10,s in North Afrika, Malta,Sicily,Italy,India/Burma (imphal) with Thunderbolts for a period in India (imphal). He also worked breifly with Sdq 145 (Polish) in N.Afrika. I would very much like to continue dialog and I have in boxed you all to this effect for any more info you may have and any info we have in return. I can tell you a story about Spit "FL D" He asked the pilot if he could put his then girlfriends name Doreen next to the cockpit to which the pilot agreed as the "D" is for his Doreen..they are both still together after 60yrs of marriage and of course they got married just after his return to the UK. PS...I have learnt as much about sqd 81 on this modelling forum as I have searching the internet in total....I think I will start to model all the aircraft he served on as part of our family heritage. It is a shame their is no desert Spits still flying, especially is they are in "FL" insignia..! Best regards Ian