Darwen Presentation Spitfire

[Graham T]

For reasons I won't go into here, I propose to build a model of the above. From web research, it appears she was Vb R7219 & lost on ops 14/4/41 (Circus 48) while being flown by a Sergeant Lamberton (PoW). However I have conflicting info that says she was with either 72 or 92 squadron. Can anyone confirm? Can anyone confirm the codes she wore at that time? Also colours; I'm assuming DG/OG over MSG. Finally which is the best kit in 1/32 Airfix or Hobbyboss? Any info gratefully received!

[gingerbob]

Circus 48: 14 JULY 41 R7219 lost from 72 Squadron with Lamberton (per "Fighter Command Losses")

Issued to 74 Squadron 5 July after repair (was damaged twice in May in combat while with 92 Squadron), but 74 traded aircraft with 72 a few days after aircraft arrived.

bob

p.s. Don't know about the "presentation name" part, so the above just goes with your serial. [Edit: A bit of searching did provide some correlation.] Color would still be Green/Brown over Sky.

Edited January 16, 2016 by gingerbob

[tonyot]

Being a presentation Spitfire, R7219 `Borough of Darwen' should be featured in the excellent book about presentation Spitfires published by Air-Britain called Gifts of War,..see here;

https://www.air-britain.co.uk/actbooks/acatalog/Gifts-of-War-146.html

Airfix don`t do a 1/32nd scale Spitfire so I presume that you mean 1/24th scale? If so,....Id go for Airfix!

Good luck with your quest!

Tony

PS- Do you know that Darwen has recently erected a memorial to this aircraft consisting of a large silver model of a Spitfire on a plinth?

Edited January 16, 2016 by tonyot

[Graham T]

Cheers for the replies, the colours are intersting & stopped me commiting a howler. If anyone can confirm the codes that would be great! Tony, yes I am aware & one of the reasons I'm building this machine!

[Stonar]

Being a presentation Spitfire, R7219 `Borough of Darwen' should be featured in the excellent book about presentation Spitfires published by Air-Britain called Gifts of War

Unfortunately no photograph though.

The entry reads:

"Absque Labore Nihil (nothing without labour), so say the coat of arms of Darwen, Lancashire, whose Borough of Darwen Spitfire fund donated £5,707. These arms adorned Spitfire Mk.Ia R7219 delivered to No.8 M.U. Little Rissingtom on 21 March 1941 then sent five days later to No.92 (East India) Sqn at Biggin Hill, engaged in sweeps, bomber escorts and Rhubarb operations. It went to Rolls Royce at Hucknall on 15 April for conversion to a Mk.Vb by replacing the Merlin III engine with a Merlin 45 and fitment of a larger oil cooler, returning to No.92 (East India) Sqn on 2 May. Plt.Off. T.S.Wade destroyed a Bf 109 in the Dungeness-Ashford area on 9 May but received category Ac damage in return, which was repaired on site, and it returned to the squadron the next day. Plt.Off T.S.Wade also destroyed a Bf 109 fifteen miles south of Dover on 15 May, but on 28 May DARWEN was a category B damaged in combat, being sent to Air Service Training Ltd on 17 June. When repairs were completed R7219 was delivered on 27 June to No.33 M.U. Lyneham to join No.74 (Trinidad) Sqn at Gravesend on 5 July. No.72 (Basutoland) Sqn moved into Gravesend on 8 July and exchanged aircraft with No.74 (Trinidad) Sqn which then flew to Acklington for a rest. Again participating in almost daily engagement of sweeps, Circus and Rhubarb operations, R7219 was shot down on Circus 48 by Bf 109s near Hazebrouck on 14 July, after just nine days with No.72 Sqn. Its pilot, Sgt William M.Lamberton 754699 was reported as captured, wounded, and ended the war as PoW number 9632 in Stalag 357 at Kopernikus."

I didn't know about the memorial, and my sister in law is originally from Darwen!

Cheers

Steve

Edited January 16, 2016 by Stonar

[303sqn]

Entry in Gifts of War under the name Darwen not Borough of .... Mk Ia R7219 carried arms of Borough of Darwen.

Deliverd 8 MU 21/3/41 sent to 92 Sqn 5 days later.

15/4/41 to RR Hucknell for conversion to Mk Vb.

2/5/41 returned to 92 Sqn.

28/5/41 Cat B damage in combat.

17/6/41 Sent to Air Service Training Ltd for repair.

27/6/41 33 MU.

5/7/41 74 Sqn

8/7/41 72 Sqn (74 Sqn exchanged aircraft with 72 Sqn)

14/741 shot down by Bf 109s near Hazebrouck Circus 48. Pilot sgt William M Lamberton reported captured, wounded, ended war as PoW no. 9632 Stalag 357 Kopernikus.

No mention of any codes applied.

Ignor, beaten to it while writing this.

Edited January 16, 2016 by 303sqn

[Stonar]

I've only seen one picture of this Spitfire, not sure where it was taken, in which the coat of arms is applied but it has yet to receive any code letters. It maybe the 'official' factory photograph sent to the donor as it appeared a local newspaper.

Cheers

Steve

[gingerbob]

No doubt that's right, Steve. One correction to the Gifts of War information- it was built as a Vb, but probably went to Rolls Royce to have the new larger oil cooler fitted- its serial and date of delivery falls in the range that were built with the old style cooler, the new ones not yet being adequately available.

There's a chance that 92 Sqn action reports or the like will offer an aircraft letter, but no guarantee that this same letter would have been carried while with 74, since it had come back from repair. Very likely that 74's letter was retained by 72, though. Does anyone have access to 74's (or 72's) ORBs? It is hit or miss whether individual letters were recorded, but worth a look.

bob