Info on 18 Sqn Boston III HK 971 M-Mother

[Sydhuey]

G'day All,

trying to find colours and markings for this Boston , it was flown by one of the guy's I work with's Uncle they crashed and crew all died while on a night shipping reccon/Interdiction sortie in Italy 02 Aug 1944, have writen to 18 Sqn association several times with no responce, we want to do an art profile of this aircraft and I will do a model of it , the pilots brother is still alive and was also an ex RAAF pilot in the Pacific (turns 90 at easter), HK 971 was a late delivery Boston III to the RAF taken on charge in Aug/Sep 43 taken from Russian allocated Bostons (HK serials were all this batch approx 60 a/c), I am asuming it would be in Dark Green and Dark Earth over Sky Grey , and pics of 18Sqn Boston IV's i've seen have had there code letter on the fin in Yellow, can't find any pics of 18 Sqn Boston III's several I have found marked as 18 Sqn turned out to be 107,88 and 24 SAAF , all help greatly appreciated Syd!

[Nick Millman]

Post amended for clarity. From here:-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To here is clear.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Nick Millman

[Sydhuey]

Thanks Nick for making it more confusing  , I know Italy was a hotch potch of colours, a lot of artwork i've seen of italian based aircraft is all over the place, one of 18 Sqn's main roles was night recon/Interdiction so who knows what schemes they had? I have asked about 18 Sqn Bostons on 4 differant forums with little responce, on the 18 Sqn association web site it has photo's of sqn history books full of photo's and i'm sure they would have info but they don't reply to any contact e mails , wish I knew someone at RAF Odiham who could visit the sqn and take a look  

[Nick Millman]

I was actually trying to help. I'll try not to make that mistake again.

 

Post amended to avoid confusing anyone else.

 

Nick

 

 

[Sydhuey]

Nick mate i was only joking Australian sarcasm and humour, as i said I assunmed it would be in the std Drk green, Dk earth and grey , but as your pic of the Baltimore shows anything is possible

[Nick Millman]

That's ok. My response was sarcastic too.

 

Nick

[Sydhuey]

Well after 5 years I think I have it all worked out, after hitting brick walls for 4 years a Boston model by Tony O'Tool got me headed in the right direction, he did a Boston IIIA BZ337  Q-Queenie in a scheme more common on a Night Heavy Bomber of Dark Green/Dark Earth over Black , this was doubly strange as almost all Boston IIIA's (A-20C's)delivered to the RAF were operated in the std US scheme of OD over Neutral Grey , the grainy photo Tony used as the reference to this aircraft led me to track down a book on 18 Sqn published in 1989 which had photo's of 2 more Boston's in this scheme then I found a photo album on eBay of photo's of 18 Sqn in North Africa and Italy going from Blenheim V's to Boston's and Boston's changing from std day scheme to the night interdictor scheme when they moved to Italy these photo's were taken by a Ground Crew member of the Sqn and were a gold mine of info, I had my schemes worked out now the aircraft , HK971 is recorded as a Boston III but was actually an A-20C , Boston's in the RAF were in two general lots (I am not counting Boston I's and Boston II's and Havocs). Boston III's including DB-7B's , DB-73's and A-20C's and the turreted Boston IV/V (A-20J/K's).

Boston III's(DB-7B's) are the original Wxxx and Zxxx serials , DB-73 (DB-7B's) from the taken over French order ALxxx  series  , Boston IIIA's are the BZxxx series , but A-20C's attrition replacements from US stock in the Med/North Africa retained their US serials , and A-20C's earmarked for Russia but acquired in Iran as attrition replacements in exchange for Spitfires were allotted serials in the HK series and recorded as Boston III's when they should have been Boston IIIA's  .

So HK971 was an A-20C earmarked for Russia , diverted to RAF control in Iran in Sept 43 assigned the serial HK971 and called a Boston III in RAF records assigned to 18 Sqn and painted up in the night interdictor scheme and lost on 01 Aug 44, of interest is the fact 18 Sqn was transitioning to brand new Boston IV's(A-20J's) at this time but was operating Boston's from all Serial groups, old Wxxx and Zxxx serials first delivered to the RAF in 1941 , ALxxx series from 1942 , Boston IIIA's (A-20C's )from 1943 and late attrition replacement ex US serialed A-20C's and HK serialed aircraft , of interest at this time the UK based 88 and 342 Sqn's were also converting to Boston IV's but they were running purely BZ series Boston IIIA's not a hotch potch of 6 different serial and model batches like units in the MTO. 

[brewerjerry]

2 hours ago, Sydhuey said:

......

as almost all Boston IIIA's (A-20C's)delivered to the RAF were operated in the std US scheme of OD over Neutral Grey ,

 

 

Hi

    Interesting, the original A.P.2023C, T.O. 01-40-AD-3  manual for the boston IIIA, I have.

    it shows aircraft , in a photo and a drawing, to be completed in RAF camo scheme A to usual RAF D/E & D/G over duck egg blue, using  'fuller' paints.

 

  Was the paint scheme related to which factory made which batch ? 

 

    cheers

      jerry

Edited October 31, 2018 by brewerjerry

[Sydhuey]

Different factories used different paints Douglas used Fuller paints while Boeing used DuPont paints on the Boston's they build.

The original Boston III's DB-7B's in the Zxxx and Wxxx series were build by Douglas to RAF spec and scheme's, the follow up order taken over from the French DB-73 were build to RAF DB-7B spec's with half build by Boeing (AL263 to AL500) and half by Douglas (AL668 to AL907), all subsequent Boston III's were of the A-20C variant , those earmarked for the RAF were given RAF serials as well as their US serial and were designated Boston IIIA's these were all lend lease aircraft and as per the lend lease agreement were originally to be finished in RAF Spec and Scheme but as with a lot of lend lease aircraft the RAF fit out and scheme were dropped to aid speed of production , some of these Boston IIIA's were also build at Boeing . These Boston IIIA's were in the BZ196 to BZ399 RAF serial range, while some were delivered in the requested DG/DE over Sky scheme the majority were in the std US OD over NG scheme, A-20C's that came from US stock in North Africa/Italy would have been delivered in Std US colours and retained their US serials (number unknown) , HK series Boston's came from Iran as attrition aircraft from A-20C's allotted to Russia, the Russians allowed these replacement aircraft to be released in small batches in exchange for Spirfires , approx. 57 aircraft came from Russian earmarked Boston's between Dec 42 and Sep 43.

 

Of interest 18 Sqn who had a close liaison with the 47th BG operated borrowed A-20B's (approx. 6) and A-20G's (4) , A-20J's (1) from the 47th these aircraft had RAF markings applied and were still flown with RAF markings on them when returned to the 47th Bg , the A-20B's for training and early missions when 18 converted to Boston's from Blenheim's,  The A-20G's were loaned to 18 Sqn in early 44 to see if they would like some as the US had spares, while 18 Sqn liked the nose gun armament they preferred a Nav/bombaimer for night missions and the A-20G's were returned when it was announced 18 Sqn was to get Boston IV  the A-20J was lent to 18 Sqn for famil before they got their new Boston IV's. So yes the RAF did operate solid nose A-20G's after all  and flew more than a dozen missions with them.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Sydhuey