Wanted,aircraft letter for 72sqn Spitfire P9338 1940

[dreadeddrew]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone out there can help me identify a particular aircraft,or point me in the right direction of suitable reference material. The aircraft in question is a Spitfire mk1 of 72 sqn,serial no.P9338. The squadron code at the time was RN,but I don't know it's individual letter.......any ideas where I might find this? I've been trolling the net without success,although I did find a good book called "Swift to Battle" by Tom Docherty,which mentions the a/c but not it's letter.

Finger's crossed someone has the answer,

Cheers,

Andrew.

Edited May 7, 2016 by dreadeddrew

[Troy Smith]

http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p008.html

P9338 Ia 541 EA MIII FF 12-2-40 6MU 2-3-40 72S 6-6-40 Left formation and crashed Capel-le-Ferne nr Folkestone Kent P/O H R Case killed 12-10-40 SOC 17-11-40

I believe Kew has squadron ORBs, and you can buy parts of them online (or view if you can get to Kew) but it has been stated before sometimes you get an aircraft letter, sometime a serial, sometimes both.

I also suggest using the 'full editor' facilty and edting your post heading to something like

"wanted aircraft letter for 72 Sq Spitfire P9338, 1940" as that says what you want at a glance.

Might be worth asking on a history forum instead of a modelling forum as well.

If you are after a model, bear in mind that this plane entered 72 sq before the introduction of sky, so would have been repainted, and there will be other possible quirks in the markings as well.

read this for a primer

http://www.boxartden.com/gallery/index.php/Profiles/Camoflage-Markings/01-Supermarine-Spitfire

HTH

T

[dreadeddrew]

Thanks for the help & advice Troy,much appreciated,cheers

Andrew

[Grey Beema]

You need to be quite specific about the dates as well. Remember that the aircraft letter was not unique. Although only one airframe should carry the letter at any one time, once the airframe moved on from the squadron that code could be worn by another airframe.

I tried to find out the same information about a Spitfire with 19 Sqn last year, used the ORB but that only gave serials which I knew already. My Spitfire joined 19 Sqn on 12/08/40 and was damaged 15/08/40. I couldn't find reference to the letter at all. The logic I used in the end was that I found an airframe letter for an airframe that turned up in the squadron just after my Spitfire went to MU and could have replaced the one I was looking for...

Good luck in your search..

[dreadeddrew]

Cheers Grey Beema

I've illiminated a few letters that were assigned to other serial numbers,C is a possibility which would be apt,as the pilots last name was Case. The date is very specific (12-10-40) as he crashed that day near Capel le Ferne,he got seperated from his flight in poor visibility,eye witness accounts say he was shot down.

Andrew

[Engelsted]

I don't think it was "C" as X4488 was "C" from late September to October 2nd, overlapping the period in which P9338 was with the squadron. Case flew it (9338) from October 4th to 12th.

John Engelsted

Edited May 7, 2016 by Engelsted

[dreadeddrew]

Thanks for clearing that one up for me John,another one I can cross off.

Andrew

[gingerbob]

Hmm, What John says is interesting: X4488 (as 'C') was damaged on 2 October, and apparently went to the repair organization. If Case then flew P9338 consistently (or fairly so) from 4 October until their loss on the 12th, it is possible that it became the new 'C'. It might not seem logical to re-letter an aircraft already on the squadron, but I've seen cases where it was done. After all, the new replacement needs a letter put on (at least in this case, not having come from a prior squadron) so it doesn't matter what letter it becomes. Maybe someone rather liked P9338 (it had been on the squadron since June) and it was adopted by Case, or by his flight, or by the erks? If Case had been consistently flying another aircraft lettered 'C', then it is quite possible that his new aircraft was given it.

bob

[dreadeddrew]

Thanks for the input Bob,if I can't find a definitive answer then I may well go with "C"........poetic licence & all that!

Cheers,

Andrew