Geoffrey Sinclair

From B-24 Liberator by Allan G Blue page 210 Theatre transfers to RAF in ETO: 41-28868, 41-29568, 42-50744, 42-51226, 42-51350, 42-51529, 42-52483, 42-52572, 42-52591, 42-52620, 42-52681, 42-52712, 42-52731, 42-52766, 42-52771, 42-94771, 42-94797, 42-94813, 42-94847, 42-94856, 42-94891, 44-10421 returned US control April 1945, 44-10533, 44-10574, 44-10594, 44-10597, 44-10611, 44-40380, 44-40457. Total 30. 42-52753 is not mentioned. Theatre transfers to RAF in MTO: 41-11906, 41-28722, 41-29278, 42-52205, 42-64341, 42-78080, 42-78096, 42-78110, 42-78113, 42-78129, 42-78143, 42-78144, 42-78153, total 13. All except 41-11906 and 42-78129 returned to US control after VE day

From B-24 Liberator by Allan G Blue Page 18/19 "The Liberator II featured a fuselage stretch ahead of the flight deck and a deepened rear fuselage to provide adequate room for placing a power turret aft of the tail section. The overall fuselage length was thus increased from 63 feet 9 inches to 66 feet 4 inches. The aft section change also permitted a better fairing between the fuselage and horizontal stabliser." The tail turret was to be a 4 gun Boulton Paul E.Mark II type. The drawings by Norman Ottaway on page 190 have the Liberator I and II, the distance from where the aft part of the wing joins the fuselage and the tail is 5 to 10% more in the I than the II, the aft under fuselage line in the I goes to vertical quicker than that of the II. The drawings indicate there was tail movement forward plus a small extension of the aft fuselage. The distance between the cockpit and nose glazing in the mark I is around a third less in the mark II.

The only B-24H received by the RAF "from the factory" was BZ970, Taken on Charge 16 February 1944, Air Britain and Air Arsenal North America says B-24H-1 42-64432 became BZ970 (Its USAAF card says accepted 13 August 1943, earmarked for Britain October, sent for modification, to ATC Dorval for ferrying 5 February 1944). The other B-24H were theatre transfers, the only official document I have is an ADO-478 report which says, B-24H transferred in November 1944. 41-29568 (contract AC-18723 Fort Worth), 41-28868 (AC-18722 Douglas) 1 from contract AC-26992 Fort Worth, serial not given, not considered a transfer (became BZ970) 16 from contract AC-21216 Ford, serials not given, not considered transfers. The British Air Commission and Lend Lease says 18 transfers, all in Britain, 1 each from AC-18722 and 18733 and 16 from AC-21616, it gives the US serials but not the RAF ones. Air Arsenal North America agrees with this while saying they were for 223 Radio Countermeasures squadron in Bomber Command (reformed in August 1944) and gives the tie ups, presented here in RAF order TS519 / 41-29568 / H-15 / Fort Worth TS520 / 41-28868 / H-15 / Douglas TS521 / 42-52483 / H-15 / Ford TS522 / 42-52712 / H-15 / Ford TS523 / 42-52620 / H-15 / Ford TS524 / 42-52753 / H-15 / Ford TS525 / 42-52771 / H-15 / Ford TS526 / 42-52572 / H-15 / Ford TS527 / 42-52591 / H-15 / Ford TS528 / 42-52731 / H-15 / Ford TS529 / 42-94856 / H-20 / Ford TS530 / 42-94891 / H-20 / Ford TS535 / 42-94813 / H-20 / Ford TS536 / 42-94771 / H-15 / Ford TS537 / 42-94847 / H-20 / Ford TT340 / 42-94797 / H-20 / Ford VB904 / 42-52766 / H-15 / Ford VD245 / 42-52681 / H-15 / Ford In Addition Air Arsenal North America says another 3 B-24H were transferred in January 1945 in the Mediterranean to support partisan supply operations TW758 / 41-29278 / H-10 / Fort Worth (in book as 42-) TW759 / 42-52205 / H-10 / Ford TW762 / 41-28722 / H-10 / Douglas (in book as 42-) B-24H Serials, maker, No. a/c, Block 41-28574/28639 Douglas 66 B-24H-1 41-28640/28668 Douglas 29 B-24H-5 41-28669/28752 Douglas 84 B-24H-10 41-28753/28941 Douglas 189 B-24H-15 41-28942/29006 Douglas 65 B-24H-20 42-51077/51103 Douglas 27 B-24H-20 42-51104/51181 Douglas 78 B-24H-25 42-51182/51225 Douglas 44 B-24H-30 41-29116/29187 Fort Worth 72 B-24H-1 41-29188/29258 Fort Worth 71 B-24H-5 41-29259/29335 Fort Worth 77 B-24H-10 41-29336/29606 Fort Worth 271 B-24H-15 41-29607/29608 Fort Worth 2 B-24H-20 42-50277/50354 Fort Worth 78 B-24H-20 42-50355/50410 Fort Worth 56 B-24H-25 42-50411/50451 Fort Worth 41 B-24H-30 42-64432/64440 Fort Worth 9 B-24H-1 42-64441/64451 Fort Worth 11 B-24H-5 42-64452/64501 Fort Worth 50 B-24H-10 42-7465/7717 Ford 253 B-24H-1 42-7718/7769 Ford 52 B-24H-5 42-52077/52113 Ford 37 B-24H-5 42-52114/52302 Ford 189 B-24H-10 42-52303/52776 Ford 474 B-24H-15 42-94729/94794 Ford 66 B-24H-15 42-94795/95022 Ford 228 B-24H-20 42-95023/95288 Ford 266 B-24H-25 42-95289/95503 Ford 215 B-24H-30 Douglas 66 B-24H-1, 29 B-24H-5, 84 B-24H-10, 189 B-24H-15, 92 B-24H-20, 78 B-24H-25, 44 B-24H-30, Total 582 aircraft. Ford 253 B-24H-1, 89 B-24H-5, 189 B-24H-10, 540 B-24H-15, 228 B-24H-20, 266 B-24H-25, 215 B-24H-30, Total 1,780 aircraft. Fort Worth 81 B-24H-1, 82 B-24H-5, 127 B-24H-10, 271 B-24H-15, 80 B-24H-20, 56 B-24H-25, 41 B-24H-30, Total 738 aircraft. Totals 400 B-24H-1, 200 B-24H-5, 400 B-24H-10, 1,000 B-24H-15, 400 B-24H-20, 400 B-24H-25, 300 B-24H-30, Total 3,100 aircraft. Other serials mentioned above, BZ721 D-45, BZ938 D-20, EW166 J-20, KH160 J-80, KH393 J-90, KK320 J-100, KL574 L-5, KL629 L-15, KN746 L-20

Trying to stay out of this for the moment. Sea I, 50 built in Canada BW855 to BW854, the RAF says 378 conversions, the list has 375 serials Sea II, 60 aircraft NF668 to NF703, NF716 to NF739 Sea IIC built by Hawker, 47 more conversions found, all except BD771, which was left on HMS Indomitable after a ferry run, built by Canadian Car and Foundry. As of end June 1944 the RAF says 31 IIB, 29 IIC, 20 IIBB, and 47 IICB transferred to the Admiralty. In the IIBB and IICB, the final letter stands for bomber = factory fitted bomb racks, also known at different times by the RAF (in 1941 and early 1942) then the MAP (early to 1942 to October) as the IIE, yes just as the RAF stopped using the designation on some records the MAP started using it. Declared a non official designation. NOT an early mark IV. Additional text: I need to stop doing quick replies, IIE = 230 IIB and 40 IIC (in that order) that left the factory with bomb racks fitted, September 1941 to October 1942, except as noted above the RAF used the IIE, stopped, then MAP started, the serials of the 270 aircraft are known. The RAF decided to call them IIBB and IICB, with another 66 IIB converted to IIBB (serials again known, hopefully to appear on the web site in a list) and thousands of IIC to IICB. As far as the RAF is concerned only 40 IIC left the factory with bomb racks fitted.

For comment. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/Hurricane/home.html Version 1, a few disclaimers and mark definitions to come.

42 a/c NX548 to NX589 I Called mark VII Interim in some places, listed as mark I on their Form 78, Contract Cards and Serial Registers. 8 a/c NX603 to NX610 I Called mark VII Interim in some places, listed as mark I on their Form 78, Contract Cards and Serial Registers. 38 a/c NX611 to NX648 VII 43 a/c NX661 to NX703 VII 44 a/c NX715 to NX758 VII 25 a/c NX770 to NX794 VII Final 30 mark VII were RT670 to RT699, total VII production 180. The mark I listed above had Merlin 22, NX611 is reported as having Merlin 22, NX613 onwards Merlin 24. The first 50 VII fitted with temperate engines, then Merlin 24 tropical. The fundamental question is what changed between the NN798 to NN816 block of Austin built Lancaster I to the NX548 to NX589 block to justify calling any of the NX serial mark VII Interim. Some of the NN serials had Merlin 24, but all of the NX serial mark I Merlin 22. Also of course given the mid upper turret change during the Lancaster X production, why the earlier ones were not called mark X Interim, remembering the 300 aircraft KB700 to 999 were built before the 130 aircraft FM100 to 299. The Form 78, Contract Cards and Serial Registers call all Canadian production mark X. As far as I am aware Martin shipped turrets to Canada for Lancasters, rather than shipping them to Britain for fitting there, easier and more convenient to fly the turrets along with the aircraft. KB855 Taken on Charge Date is 9 November 1944.

Final 240 Gloster Gladiators ordered by the RAF 20 a/c N5575 to N5594, 30 a/c N5620 to N5649, 50 a/c N5680 to N5729, 40 a/c N5750 to N5789, 50 a/c N5810 to N5859, 50 a/c N5875 to N5924 Gladiator II Exports taken from RAF order, Air 8/362 notes no aircraft exports in September 1939 and Gladiator exports October to December 1939 are put at 15 Portugal, 18 Egypt and 6 Norway. 15 Portugal N5835 to 49 18 Egypt, N5875 to 5892 called L9030 to 47 on the contract cards, their Egyptian serials 6 Norway N5919 to N5924 The RAF serials around the Portugal order were built in late July 1939, no gap in delivery dates. Showing the Portugal order was built either earlier or later. There is a gap in RAF delivery dates with the serials up to N5898 delivered in mid to late September, then N5899 to N5902 in mid October then N5903 onward from mid January 1940. The Egyptian order have dates of August and September 1939, in line with the RAF serials Norway serials 427, 433, 435 delivered 24 Oct 39, 429 and 431 on 27 Oct 39, 425 on 26 Oct 1939, though they were the last RAF serials they were built 7 to 8 months before production stopped. The production reports miss 7 exports, without them production is 39 from September 1939 to April 1940 inclusive. The missing aircraft were probably built in September 1939. Monthly Gladiator production June 1939 to April 1940 was 48, 39, 27, 12, 4, 7, 0, 7, 4, 2, 3, plus 7 more for export. Gloster produced its first Hurricanes in October 1939, production to April 1940 being 2, 13, 17, 34, 34, 56, 69.

First the obvious, AN were the codes for 417 Squadron, had Spitfire Vb and Vc October 1942 to September 1943 and started flying Spitfires on operations in late November. BR410 to 435 were PR.IV, BR459 to 499 mark Vc. 601 squadron says it was BR363 that failed to return on 31 August 1942 Shores et. al, say BR636. BR363 seems to have also been recorded instead of BR459 for a 25 July 1942 loss. Looking at the 601 Squadron records for July and August 1942 no indication BR470 was used for operations. BR478 was. BR470 was with 417 squadron on 2 February 1943, like 601 squadron its record of events uses serial numbers. If you assume the photograph date is correct, removing all those lost in 1942 or not sent to the Middle East you are left with BR461, BR463, BR469, BR470*, BR472, BR473, BR474, BR476, BR483*, BR487, BR493, BR494, BR498, *= web site mention of 417 Squadron.

HL887 mark IIC, 48MU 22-6-42 222MU 5-7-42 Liverpool ‘Silverwillow’ 20-7-42 Takoradi ferried 27?-8-42 ME 213Sq ‘AK-W’ CE 27-11-42 bboc 31-10-43 NWA CE 8-3-44

Sunderland V production from September 1944 to May 1946 with 155 built. Wartime users, 201 Squadron February 1945 to February 1957 204 Squadron April to June 1945 205 Squadron June 1945 to May 1959 209 Squadron February 1945 to January 1955 228 Squadron February to June 1945 230 Squadron February 1945 to February 1957 240 Squadron July 1945 to March 1946 259 Squadron March and April 1945 330 Squadron April to November 1945 461 Squadron February to June 1945. 35 SAAF Squadron from March 1945 10 RAAF Squadron June to October? 1945 (ex 461 squadron aircraft) ML839 Mark III Taken on RAF Charge 29-Oct-43, allocated to 10 Squadron RAAF 08-Dec-43, coded RB-A, for conversion to mark V (R-1830 Twin Wasp replacing Pegasus XVIII engines) but not officially on strength, mentioned on 02-Mar-44 with work underway when a delegation of Ministry of Aircraft Production, Coastal Command, Short Brothers and Pratt & Whitney representatives visit the squadron to discuss the project. 16-Mar-44 Four engines and one propeller installed. The propellers are from Albemarles with 9 inches clipped off the blades and are fully feathering. Conversion now has priority over operational commitments. 5552 Fitter 2E Sgt G F Beattie is in charge of the installation. 04-May-44 First test flight of mark V, pilot Group Captain J Alexander OBE RAAF (Commanding Officer RAF Mount Batten) (The official mark V prototype ML765 was taken on charge by the RAF 31-Mar-44, counted as a mark III, though it has been reported it flew as a mark V in March.) 01-Jul-44 Loaned to 10 Sqn for for local and training flights. 12-Sep-44 First operational sortie, captained by F/Lt S T Chilcott 12-Oct-44 Sank at moorings during gale.

ML897 B.IX Merlin 72 taken on charge 17 July 1943 to 109 then 105 squadron same day, to 1409 flight 20 July, apart from repairs stayed with the flight until 2 October 1945. Another Mosquito site http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/

Z3675, mark IIB, 22 MU 26 June 1941, 302 squadron 23 July, 82 MU 10 October, Russia 12 October, no major accidents recorded in Britain.

https://caspir.warplane.com/asrc/acn/200000445/ RCAF Cessna Crane, according to the RCAF, 644 Mark I (Jacobs L-4MB) serials 1300, 4000, 7657 to 7836, 7843 to 8202, 8651 to 8750, 9000, 9500 (1300, 4000, 9000, 9500 built from parts). 100 Mark IA (Jacobs L-4MB-1A) 8751 to 8850 but 8797 not delivered. 82 Mark IA (Jacobs L-6MB) FJ200 to 239, FJ248 to 289. 640 T-50 produced in US December 1940 to January 1942 Mark IA were USAAF AT-17A, USAAF Engine designation Jacobs R-775-9 built January to July 1942, RAF serials FJ100 to 289 but FJ240 to 247 to USAAF/Pan American, FJ100 to 199 became RCAF 8751 to 8850, with FJ146/8797 crashed in the US. The original British/Canadian order is reported as 550 aircraft, accepted as 190 AT-17A for Lend Lease, 60 AT-17C, 33 AT-17A and 267 UC-78C for USAAF.

Brazil 68 P-47D. The following format is ADT-15 Delivery Log page, month in 1944, number of aircraft the delivery report has, then the serials the delivery logs have for the month P174, April, 0 a/c, 42-26450 P-47D-25. P180, May, 37 a/c, 42-26752 and 3, 42-26755 to 773 P-47D-25, 42-26775 to 789 P-47D-27 (36 a/c serials) P180, June, 1 a/c, 42-26774 P-47D-27 P76, July, 10 a/c, 44-19659 to 668, P-47D-28 Sub total 48, but a slight disagreement between delivery logs and delivery report. Also 44-19664 and 668 to USAAF later (March 1945?), there are probably others. P90, September 9 a/c, 44-20338, 339, 341 to 347 P-47D-30 (also 44-20293 in 1946?) P90, October 1 a/c 44-20340 P-47D-30 P99, November 9 a/c, 44-20798 to 801, 803 to 807 P-47D-30 P99, December 1 a/c, 44-20802 P-47D-30 Sub Total 20 P100 to 106, Also 44-20850 and 854 diverted to Brazil in December 1944, 44-21022 and 093 to Brazil April 1945, there are probably others. All the above from Farmingdale, the following in 1945 from Evansville P40, June, 19 a/c, 45-49228, 231, 234 to 240, 243 to 247, 249, 251, 252, 256, 262, P-47D-40. This batch is a form of compensation for the reported 17 remaining reserve aircraft in Italy being reassigned to the USAAF post war, and probably 2 other such transfers. 25 of the original allocation went with the unit to Brazil post war, the remainder of the 68 had been lost according to Air Arsenal North America. Mexico allocation of 58 P-47D, reported as 25 new lend lease and rest from USAAF theatre stocks. Then another 25 post war. P138, February, ADT-16 (not 15), 25 a/c 44-33710, 711, 713 to 723, 725, 727 to 733, 735, 737, 738, 741 P-47D-30, all initially delivered for USAAF, then to Mexico then diverted to USAAF 7 December 1945. To compensate for the return of the above 25 aircraft, presumably shipped to the Philippines, Mexico received 25 P-47D-30 originally delivered to the USAAF in March (first two) and April 1945 (other 23), all marked diverted to Mexico 7 December 1945. P147 to 152, ADT-16 (not 15), Serials 44-89945, 92, 90008, 049, 165, 170, 180, 183, 185, 190, 192, 194, 196, 198, 199, 202, 204, 205, 208 to 211, 214, 217, 226 As I read it Brazil received 68 new P-47D during 1944 for Italian operations and probably only used that allocation, receiving an extra shipment in 1945 as replacements for aircraft transferred to the USAAF in Italy. After 1945 additional P-47 were acquired. Mexico received 25 new P-47D during the war but also used USAAF theatre stocks, all 25 P-47D survived and were transferred to the USAAF in the Philippines with Mexico receiving 25 P-47D from USAAF stocks as replacements.

As I understand it the AFDU clipped a test Spitfire's wings on 2 October 1942, reporting the results on the 14th. During October a mark XII was given clipped wings. In early November Supermarine received an order for 20 sets of parts to allow 91 squadron to become clipped wing. As of 17 November a mark IX had been tried which prompted an order for another 19 sets of parts.