Help needed for info on a 242 Squadron Pilot

[SilverFox5]

I wonder if anyone can help me,

First the background, I have always been interested in planes from as far back as I can remember and when I was about 12 years old I had a book

on the Battle of Britain that told me what happened day to day. In it I saw that a pilot named Homer was killed in action, yes I know a lot of pilots died,

but this one stopped with me as he had the same surname as me. At the time I was making models of aircraft as lads do, but looking back I was just

bashing through them.

I am now 64 and I have started to make the odd model car or two but this young man is still at the back of my mind,

we now have the internet, and I have some time to take things slower.

So I decided to do some research on him. I have found all I need to know to be able to make an attempt at modeling him,

but there is still one or two bits of the jigsaw I need.

This is all I have on him so far, the information has come from more than one site but I have put it all together to build a better picture.

http://www.acesofww2.com/UK/aces/bader/

He is second from the right in white.

Born 1919

Service Number : 33409

Education - Eagle House, 1930 – 1933, Wellington and Royal Air Force College, Cranwell.

The Day:

Major efforts by massed Bf 110's and Bf 109's are aimed at London and Bristol in the morning.

Only a few get through with heavy German losses.

Flying officer Michael Homer DFC, of 242 Squadron, which was led by flying ace Douglas Bader,

was just 21 when he was shot down in combat with Bf109s and crashed in flames by a German fighter plane over

Sittingbourne, in Kent at 12.25 hrs. He was flying Hurricane I, P2967.

His badly damaged Hurricane, which was based with the rest of the squadron in Duxford,

crashed into the garden of a small cottage in the village of Milstead on 27th of September 1940.

FO Homer's remains were taken from the wreck and buried in Godlingston Cemetery, in Swanage,

and his family planted a tree and mounted a plaque in his memory at the crash site.at Bluetown, Mintching Wood.

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I have the Italeri Kit, with the Eduard 49594 set for the detail and Revell 1/48 ground crew for the pilot so far.

The only fly in the ointment at the moment is trying to find the letter code after the roundel on the side.

The squadron code is obviously LE, but does anyone know of a link to find the code to replace the

A in this picture of PO Willie McKnight for my pilot?

I cannot find any photograph with the P2967 showing, to tell me, (P2961 in this shot is close but no cigar),

If I cannot find a letter could make one up do you think, Or I could leave it blank maybe.

As to the colour of his flying kit, I was thinking white as on the left.

(If I can get the revell bits to play ball and look something like).

Anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks.

Edited June 9, 2018 by SilverFox5

[Ivor Ramsden]

It's strange how things like this stay with you for many years. Well done for commemorating this young man and good luck with your search. I've had a look in the squadron Operations Record Book but it doesn't list aircraft letters. All I can add is that P/O Homer was flying as Green 2 on that day.

[P.o Prune]

I have a book at home.. The Battle over Britain... and it lists all planes lost day to day through the battle.

Let me take a look when I get home from work, and I'll let you know if I find anything.

Cheers

[stevej60]

Good luck with your worthy project if the information is out there the guys on this site will get it!

[Ivor Ramsden]

If the guys on here don't come up with the aircraft letter it might be worth asking here: http://forum.keypublishing.com/forumdisplay.php?4-Historic-Aviation

There are some very clued-up guys on there.

[Procopius]

I checked The Battle of Britain, Then and Now (Mk IV, I don't have the most current edition), but unfortunately it sheds no further light on F/O Homer's aircraft, aside from noting that parts of it were recovered in 1979 by the Wealden Aviation Archaeological Group and the London Air Museum. It also notes F/O Homer had transferred to fighters in September -- his DFC was won flying bombers earlier -- and had been posted to 242 on September 21.

[stevej60]

Have you tried just typing "hurricane p2967"into google there is some info out there including a long debate on network 54 which seems to

suggest LE-X as that aircrafts code.It is part of the hyperscale site

Edited October 12, 2013 by stevej60

[P.o Prune]

Sorry, but Battle over Britain by Francis K. Mason only gives the serial number and the time of the crash (12:30)

I'll keep looking.

[SilverFox5]

Hi, and thanks for the replies so far, it’s good of you all to give up time on my behalf.

Stevej60, I don't think it is LE-X. As I had seen the picture before and the debate on the site,

I think this is the picture you are referring to.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1292953754/Hurricane+colours+identification

I also found another picture of a flight of LE marked Hurricanes as you can see I think the LE-X ends in a 5 or 619

I wont give up until I get to a stage in the making that I cannot go further without it, and as a last resort I may try

and work it so I put camouflage netting over it to blind the end section entirely, but as I have not even opened

the bag inside the box yet, I have sometime to go.

Ivor - Thanks for that info it's something I never knew.

Edited October 12, 2013 by SilverFox5

[Test Graham]

The second photograph shows a later period, judging from the Zxxxx serial on the nearest aircraft and the later Rotol spinners. There will have been a number of aircraft coded LE.X at different times, and I do think that the one captioned as being in France does appear to be P2967. By the time of its loss it will have been repainted with Sky (or some substitute) undersides rather than the Night/White/Aluminium seen in the photo.

[AndyL]

I have just cross referenced the 242 Squadron ORB, and the entries in William McKnights log book, P2967 is LE-X.

McKnight flew this Hurricane on September 20th on a sortie out of Duxford.

HTH

[gingerbob]

I was hoping you'd show up, Andy!

bob

[AndyL]

Like the proverbial bad penny, eh Bob

[mhaselden]

The top photo in #9 does look to have a serial number ending in 7. I think we have a winner - LE-X. And even if it's not, it's the most probable given the available info...and nobody can tell you you're wrong.

[Procopius]

Is that bit of nose art under the windscreen on LE-X in France?

[AndyL]

Its a skull and crossbones motif with the wording Zwei. It's on a decal sheet ...check the link.

http://scaleplasticandrail.com/kaboom/index.php/component/content/article/42-decal-reviews/478-zotz-ztz32036-132-qvital-stormq-hurricane-mkis-during-the-battle-of-britain-a-beyond

Edited October 12, 2013 by AndyL

[SilverFox5]

I would like to thank you all again for the help and time you have given on my behalf.

I will go with LE-X, and Andy you’re a star.

[AndyL]

Sad thing is that a F/O Homer only managed to complete three operational sorties with 242 Squadron before he was killed.

I am currently looking into the Luftwaffe claims for that day to see if there is a possibility I may be able to pin one down, but some of the claims don't have times. The Luftwaffe claimed 30 Hurricanes that day compared to the figures of 17 damaged, 12 destroyed, with the loss of nine pilots.