iang

Indeed. Put it down to a senior moment.

In addition to what has been posted, Avengers of 848 Squadron HMS Formidable were briefly marked with D-Day invasion stripes on the fuselage. There is one well-known photo of an Avenger taking off in this scheme (third photo down): https://www.world-war.co.uk/best_photos8.php, I think I might have another in a private photo album I own compiled by an unknown aircrew from Formidable (I'd need to check). I have a recollection of seeing an 848 Avenger with both fuselage and wing invasion stripes. Formidable was under refit for most of the first half of 1944, and upon completion of post refit trials in May 1944, her air group was embarked in June. I assume this is when the photo linked above was taken, prior to Formidable's passage to Scapa Flow to rejoin the Home Fleet in July.

Fantastic!

Fleet Air Arm WW2 Squadron Diaries at TNA are filed in ADM/207. You can search their catalogue to see which ones they hold and for what period. They hold 51 in total, but not 803, 806 or 788 for any period. The Fleet Air Arm Museum also hold 18 WW2 Diaries. Again, none of the squadrons you're interested in sadly.

Although speed isn't everything, the top speed of the Fulmar is quoted as 265 MPH at 7,500 ft. This is about the same as the Gloster Gladiator (257 MPH), though the Fulmar was better armed and had a longer range.

Though not universally popular among FAA pilots. S/Lt J.G.S. Forrest (880 Squadron) referred to the Fulmar as "seven tons of uselessness". And I've now found the photo with the annotation from the line-book:

Sadly, having found my notes from Indomitable's logs, they only start in March 1942. Repainting into the second disruptive pattern was at Kilindini 26 May => 30 May ( I have some quite good photographs taken from Illustrious soon after this), and no painting prior to this in March, April or May.

I agree with your assessment that there are 4 colours - possibly 5 if Dick is right about white on the stern and bow sections, though the 5 colour scheme seems to be very short lived. About 15 years ago I went through the Ships' Logs for Indomitable, which gives the dates for 'painting ship'. If I get a chance, I'll try and find my notes over the weekend.

Here's a photo taken at Bermuda in October 1941: Not the best quality, but the light colour looks to be the same over the entire hull.

Jamie, I think the difference is panchromatic versus orthochromatic film or the application of red/orange/yellow filters to pan film. Orthochromatic films were the most common in WW2 and yellow, orange or red filters were (and still are) a standard tool used in black and white photography to increase the contrast of blues on panchromatic film (or to make skin tones more flattering). The same difference between image types is evident in the port side photos I posted earlier. Notice that in the photo showing the flight-deck with a Sea Hurricane aft, the fin flash and wing roundels show a relatively light red portion and quite a dark blue portion. So definitely not orthochromatic film (which darkens reds and yellows and lightens blue). It is likely the outcome of a red, orange or yellow filter on panchromatic film (which lighten reds and darken blues). The red of the fuselage roundel on Sea Hurricane 7Z is rendered almost white, so the image was taken with a lens mounted filter in my view. IG

Round down as of mid-1942: Port side: Starboard side: flight-deck:

Lee, here you are: HTH, Ian

According to the Admiralty reports, Furious embarked 4 SH, 6 Fulmar, 9 Swordfish, 9 Albacore. Re your point about code sequences, for the Swordfish and Albacore the 9 aircraft from each of 812 and 817 Squadrons were coded A=>M. Apparently, the fighters did not conform. Perhaps because the 4 SH were squeezed in at the expense of 3 Fulmar and the squadron chose the best 6 serviceable aircraft from 9?