Carl V

Roger: 1. You have done a superb job of replicating the dear old Digby. 2. It is always a joy to me to see models of RCAF aircraft of the WW 2 era modeled, and what you have created is a worthy tribute to this veteran of the Battle of the Atlantic. 3. I confess to only one disappointment which has nothing whatsoever to do with yourself. It is that so few people took me up on my offer to share my work on the Digby. I do not think that this is solely egotism on my part, (though that, of course, may well be a factor.) After all, it represents a half century of research and photo accumulation. 4. However, as it is possible that your excellent model may have stirred some additional interest in the type, I repeat my offer. Should anybody out there be interested, if you will send me your email address, I will be happy to fire it off to you. 5. Should nobody be interested, not to worry – I will not mope and sulk. So much to do, so little time! Carl

Hello, Dunny: 1. I note your modelling interest in that fascinating but obscure aircraft, the RCAF's Douglas Digby. 2. Some time ago I prepared a history of the RCAF Digbys which I not very brilliantly named Distended Douglas. It was a fairly major treatment e.g. 79 photos etc. many of which illustrated detail. 3. I have this now in PDF form which I would be happy to pass on to you if you would let me have your email address. I am not sure whether we have been in contact before – if we have, and I have mislaid it, chalk it up to senile degeneration on my part. 4. This offer to share applies to anybody else out there. I am anxious to get my stuff into the hands of my friends. Carl

1. I hope that I may be pardoned for reverting to the original subject that got this delightful thread under way. Among my prized possessions is a collection of bound volumes of every issue of that fantastic magazine The Aeroplane Spotter. I must confess, however, that I have not looked at them for several decades. 2. However, if my near-senile memory is not at fault, in one of them there was an item to the effect that a Beaufighter squadron had incorporated the word Beau in the names of its aircraft. The only examples that I can recall after this passage of time are Beau Legs, Beau and Arrow, and Ann Beau-Lynn. If my memory has not totally crashed and if the report is not apocryphal, this unit at least appears to have achieved some degree of agreement on the subject. Carl

While this is only marginally relevant to the topic, it may be of some interest. It deals with the time when the RCAF, having its Hurricane acquisition plans cut off at the knees, was flailing around attempting to find a fighter for the HWE. As stopgaps, it had fallen back on the ghastly Goblin and the highly inadequate fighter Bolingbroke. Rather than write out something new, I am simply pasting in below an extract from Chapter 11 of my unpublished work on Canada and the Curtiss fighters. The information is entirely derived from RCAF official records. While this passage is only marginally relevant to the topic, it may be of some interest. It deals with the time when the RCAF, having its Hurricane acquisition plans cut off at the knees, was flailing around attempting to find a fighter for the HWE. As stopgaps, it had fallen back on the ghastly Goblin and the highly inadequate fighter Bolingbroke. Rather than write out something new, I am simply pasting in below an extract from Chapter 11 of my unpublished work on Canada and the Curtiss fighters. The information is entirely derived from RCAF official records. While the Goblin/Bolingbroke experience had been unfolding, the other side of the RCAF’s fighter acquisition endeavour – obtaining modern purpose-built aircraft – had been progressing. The initial stage involved investigating the characteristics of possible candidates. These were entirely from the US – no British aircraft were considered. As early as 30 July 1940 the specifications of the Lockheed P-38 arrived in Ottawa. The RCAF response, four days later, was that the P-38 was “interesting” but did not fit RCAF requirements – an indication that the RCAF, even at that date, still had a lingering hope of acquiring a more specialized fighter. The P-38 resurfaces in the records when, on 1 November 1940, the RCAF reported, first, that it was still looking for fighters in the US and, second, that it gathered that the plans to manufacture the P-38 in Canada for the RAF had now been abandoned. On 8 November it received confirmation that these plans had, indeed, been dropped. The reason that was given was that the RAF was of the opinion that the pilot loss rate due to the difficulty in bailing out safely was too great. There is little reference to the P-38 for several years, but it is of interest to note that no other source seems to mention the proposed Canadian manufacture of the P-38, nor is the difficulty of escaping from the aircraft cited as the primary reason for the RAF’s disenchantment with the type. Carl

1. I am always happy to see models of RCAF Venturas about to take shape. 2. I have had an interest in this aircraft since 1971 when George Hopp and I created a fairly major drawing project on the RCAF Venturas in IPMS Canada's RT publication. 3. A dozen years ago, simply for my own amusement, I pulled together all of my Ventura material, at least that which I could locate, and made a unpublished publication dealing with the Ventura and the various aspects of its Canadian connection. In my youthful conceit (remember, I was only in my 70's then) I called it Vincent's Venturas. Despite the fact that it has been overtaken to some degree by recent information and has some other glitches, it is not all that bad and, anyway, it has approximately 100 photographs. 4. I have now reduced this publication to PDF's and I would be delighted to pass it on to anybody who is interested and who will supply me with an email address. As I frequently mentioned, the more of my material that I get out and into the hands of my friends, the better. 5. I also have an illustrated document regarding the development of the first PV-1 which I will be asking our friend Dogsbody to post it here on my behalf. 6. I also have several T& DE illustrated reports relating to the tests of both of the ski-equipped Venturas and, also, the RCAF modifications to the Ventura V. Carl

1. I have often wondered why more modellers have not essayed this interesting and distinctively marked sub- type. 2. Recently I have pulled together the images relating to the TT Lysander from my collection, many showing considerable detail, as well as the relevant two pages from my book Canadian Aircraft of WW II. 3. I would be delighted to share them with you, but I feel that as there are 28 images in all, this would be more than the forum/thread should permit. 4. Should you care to trust me with an email address, I would be happy to get them off to you immediately. 5. Anybody else out there who might be interested – this offer is open to you as well. Just let me know. 6. I also have another approximately 50 photos of non-TT Lizzies if there are any other Lysander enthusiasts out there. Carl

Michael: Should you locate this article, or indeed, if you do not, I would appreciate you informing me. I have no recollection whatsoever of this, and we old fellows become apprehensive at signs of memory loss. Thanks, Carl IPMS Canada #154

Hello, Vingtor: 1. I still have my copies of every issue of RT volume 10, and I can find nothing by myself (or anybody else) on the Norwegian activities in Canada. 2. Indeed, I cannot recall ever doing anything of that nature for RT, although at this time – 1977 – I was fairly prolific in my contributions to it. Should you find a more accurate reference I would be happy to look it up, but I doubt that it exists. 3. In the early 1980s I did publish two articles on Little Norway in my magazine High Flight, one quite long and profusely illustrated by FJ Hatch of the National Defence directorate of history, and a shorter one by myself on the Northrops during their time at Patricia Bay. Should you be interested and provide me with a email address, I would be happy to scan them and send them to you. 4. We have a personal interest in the subject, as well. In 1998/99 my wife Elizabeth working as a historian on behalf of Canada's National Historic Sites and Monuments Board, was researching the Norwegian air training activity in Canada. As a result of this research, in 2002, this was declared an Event of National Historic Significance, and duly marked by a bronze plaque at Muskoka Airport, Gravenhurst. 5. During this research, we visited Gravenhurst where the Little Norway Memorial is situated – several well-designed rooms filled with artifacts, mementos, photos etc. very beautiful and rather moving. We took a number of photos which we would be very happy to pass on to you. 6. I hope that this is of some interest, and I look forward to hearing from you. Best Regards Carl Vincent

1. This is a very interesting picture. It is the first that I have seen to show the RCAF Cornells that were directly transferred to the Norwegians. 2. To condense a long story to rudimentary proportions, the RCAF during WW II received a total of 1555 Cornells. Of these, 917 were manufactured in Canada by Fleet and were designated Cornell II’s. They were allotted RCAF serial numbers in blocks within the 10,500-10,907 and the 15,001 – 16,050 serial ranges. These were all built to RCAF contracts. The other 648, designated Cornell I's, were built by Fairchild in the US. These were built as lend lease aircraft for the RAF, but as they were RAF contributions to the BCATP, upon delivery they became RCAF aircraft, although, in common with most such RAF contributions, they retained their RAF serials. They were given serials in the EW to FZ range. The above numbers and details may be somewhat in error – sources differ, and the Cornell is not an aircraft that I have investigated in even a casual manner. Indeed, despite being used in such comparatively large numbers, neither the aircraft nor its RCAF service has been given a great deal of attention. Certainly, there were a number of differences between the two major models. 3. At some time, I believe fairly early in the production run, the RCAF transferred twenty Cornells of both models to the Norwegians. I presume it was simply to replace attrition of the original Fairchild PT-19's. This photo, which I would suspect was taken during the early winter of 1942-43, probably shows these aircraft soon after or, possibly, immediately after delivery. Whether they were subsequently repainted in the distinctive Norwegian blue and yellow I cannot say. 4. The difference in markings is undoubtedly due to the different specifications issued by the contractors/recipients, i.e. the RCAF and the RAF. From a survey of my comparatively small photo collection, the RCAF retained the earlier i.e. A-type insignia for most of the aircraft's service, although some were definitely repainted. 5. As a matter of fact, Cornell colour schemes and markings are remarkably consistent during their service. This is in striking contrast to most other BCATP types whose only claim to this type of consistency is that they are consistently inconsistent. 6. For anybody interested, I have a half dozen or more photos of Norwegian Fairchilds to which you are welcome. Carl

I had a look in the book The Liberator in the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth service (Air-Britain, 2007), by my good friend the late Jim Oughton. There is not a great deal on this mod, but there are a couple of pictures on page 223 showing examples from 40 Squadron and 104 Squadron with the information that they were used for Special Duties. They appear to be standard Liberator B VI's, serialed KK306 and KK316, except for the revised nose. That gives us a start, anyway. Carl

Paul: That is a most valuable and gratifyingly authentic piece of information. Thanx. Carl

You are correct and it is probably simply a matter of Johnson in his position of Wing Leader retaining it, either deliberately or simply accepting the fact. As far as repainting goes, I think it unlikely due to lack of motive, but, as I'm sure we both agree, who knows? Carl

1. When I looked at the posting of the image of the overseas decal, it struck me that somebody might possibly get the wrong idea due to the discolouration of the central disc. It was, definitely, a light blue. 2. I can say this with a reasonable degree of certainty as I have an actual example of this decal. Unfortunately, I have not seen it for several years and have not, at the moment, been able to lay my hands on it. I trust it has not deteriorated in the interim, but if it does turn up in the next few days, I will post an image. 3. I regret not being able to locate it, but presumably, some day, it will bob to the surface like the proverbial. We have lived in this house since soon after we were married in 1966 and it seems as if it will take us an equal period of time to get it cleared out. 4. I obtained this decal back in 1975 from the former Engineering Officer of 168 (HT) Squadron, RCAF. It was a remnant from the supply of those that were carried by the squadron's Liberators and Fortri on the overseas mail flights from 1944 on. 5. It should be emphasized that this marking was not simply carried on Spitfires but on many other types. I have images of it on at least a dozen other types. 6. If anybody wants to follow up on this, the IPMS Canada quarterly, RT, in this last summer's number, carried a magnificent and quite comprehensive article, primarily on this marking and also on the entire subject of the maple leaf motif in the RCAF during WW II. Carl

Hi, Bruce: Should you care to trust me with your email address, PM it to me and I would be pleased to send you PDFs of the relevant chapters from the first volume of my unpublished book on the Canadian Association with the Curtiss fighters. Over a hundred photos of RAF Tomahawks, most previously unseen and some good detail shots. This offer applies to anybody else out there who might be interested. Carl

1. I believe that I responded to something of this nature quite a while back and indeed posted photos. 2. The RCAF received 72 Kittyhawk I's from the production line for the RAF. When the aircraft were delivered to the RCAF, they only were fitted with very exiguous restraints and could not be put into operational service until the Sutton harness could be delivered and fitted. 3. I believe that it is a reasonable assumption that this was the situation with the aircraft delivered to the RAF. Mind you, I have no information as to what might have been the case with the lend lease Kittyhawk Ia's. Carl