StevieD

Yes, I did wonder if it was reversed in France as a sign Poland wasn’t free. It was the variation in Britain that confused me. I suppose there were a lot more things to worry about at the time but I know there’s a Polish tendency to be accurate about these things – my father was Polish! As JWM shows most were correct orientation but even within squadrons you can’t be sure - Tadeusz Schiele’s Spitfire V of 308 has ‘French style.’ I’m just finishing 307 Defiant EW H. Not finding any actual photos I followed the instructions on the Model Maker Decals, then realised this was ‘French style’ when all other 307 Defiants are correct. No doubt ‘H’ was as well but I can’t be sure. Many thanks for your help and best to rely on photos I suppose.

The Polish chequerboard. In 1939 the red square is always at top left. In Morane/ Caudron photos from 1940 the red square is top right. In Britain it varies. Is there a correct orientation for the chequerboard? I’d imagine it should be as 1939 but why did it change in France? Many thanks

Thanks for that! I've just found photos of the G-2. I know you can't trust a profile but there are just to many North African 109s with that yellow recognition marking for it to have been a repeated mistake.

Yes white nose tail wing tips and fuselage band. But lots of profiles and decal sheets show a yellow lower nose. Haven't found any colour desert shots - well at least ones not colourised.

Hello About to have a bash at Joachim Munchenberg's G2 from Libya in 1943 as shown on the Xtradecal sheet. It doesn't show the lower yellow nose ID that's seen on most profiles and photos of other desert 109s. Should it be there? Thanks

Special Hobby 1/72 Gant My first SH kit and a real gem, although I understand they're not all like that. Fiddly cockpit though. The decals were terrible - fell to bits as soon as you looked at them so couldn't save the stencils. Would definitely build another though. Thanks for looking

80th Anniversary of outbreak of WW2 next year so how about a 1/72 PZL P.11c? I went into Foyles bookshop in London recently and couldn’t find one single book that dealt with September 1939. I think we’re in danger of thinking the war started in 1940 at a place called Dunkirk. There’s a P.11c at the Krakow aircraft museum to go look at (although the wheels put on during restoration are all wrong.) How about Gnys' aircraft for the (generally accepted) first allied kill? And could be boxed up as dogfight double with the He111 or Stuka. The latter could represent WW2’s first kill - Frank Neubert’s Stuka over Medwecki’s P.11c. The BBC are planning some mega-series ‘World on Fire’ dealing with 1939 (probably showing cavalry against tanks) so there should be a lot of interest.

Yes. Got a Burmese who is fascinated by props. The Defiant was lucky. My Whitley had one blade chewed off at the root.

Thanks. Just very, very thin coats. The first few coats always look a terrible mess so there's a temptation to keep 'over painting.' Try and avoid that because even acyrlics start to thicken up (leaving brushmarks)

Dzieki!

Airfix 1/48. 307 City of Lwow Had terrible trouble with the turret on this. Just would not fit but probably down to me. Cracked the canopy while trying to sort it. And finally... managed to get the Polish chequerboard in the wrong orientation. All round well done me. Brush painted acrylic vajello black grey and weathering with Tamiya smoke pastel Thanks for looking

That if fantastic everyone. Just sent the links to my friend - you've made an old fella very happy. He remembered his father mentioning being involved with aircraft as well, but couldn't understand how and why. This explains it all. Thank you.

Many thanks. I suspected it was some 'one-off' that didn't go into mass production. My friend said his father was in the army so I never gave much thought to the Naval cap.

Hello First time the military section - usually in aircraft. I was wondering if anyone could help with the 2 images below? A friend of mine gave them to me and, as his father is in these photographs would like to know what this vehicle is. He's had a look around but can't find anything similar. All he knows is that its a self-propelled gun and was taken in 1917 on the beach at Dunkirk. His father is in the first photo and is second from the right. 'Mr Sheffield' (Don't know his christian name) Many thanks for any help you can give.

googsy He never talked about Poland or the war. You just knew when you were little that you shouldn't ask questions - although I did. He had a lot of Polish friends and they worked down the mines. The thing that stays with me is seeing them sitting round the fire talking in Polish. Although I couldn't understand the language, I've never seen men show such anger or despair as when they talked about the Russians. If anyone had seen the Devil then they had - I could feel it. I understand now of course - but as a kid in the 60s the war was about Britain v Germany and the Russians didn't really come into it much.