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Battle of Britain: wating for scramble


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The Battlle of Britain was, when I was a kid, already something mythological. These brave men, with the magnificent Spitfires and Hurricanes, who defended the last free place in Europe against the Nazi war machine.

 

Growing older, I realised how much human effort went in to this battle. Reading more about the men, you come to understand that with this great victory and the magnificent machines, the toll on them was immense.

I want to honour those men (in my own humble way) by building an Airfix Spitfire, but as a part of a diorama. I am fascinated by the photos of waiting pilots, ready to scramble.


So, to complement the Spit, I'll try to build a small vignette of airmen waiting for the scramble to sound.

I might fail in this, but I hope it will be a small reminder of the Few, of which so many ow so much.

Next post I hope to add some pictures, still working out that since the Photobucket-disaster...

 

Edited by Dorbeck
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1 minute ago, dogsbody said:

Ooh, this sounds interesting. As for picture-posting, I use Flickr now. Photobucket can lick my neither regions!

 

 

 

Chris

Hi Chris.

 

yes, Photobucket can... well, what you said! ;)

I now use postimg.cc

Seems to work.... I'll try to post some more. The waiting pilots are based on a great photo, will be up in a short time... well, hope so anyway... stay tuned!

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The source of the waiting pilots is this great photo:

 

waiting1940.jpg

 

It really has all of it. The men waiting in front of a camouflaged caravan, a dog, the planes, a rather fancy car, and last but not least, the garbage can.

 

I'll try to scratchbuild a caravan, and hope to get some pilots out of a few kits.

The car I already have a substitute.

 

ace_tourer_01.jpg

 

 

When I saw this in the modelshop I just couldn't resist it. Simple kit, but so to the point....

 

ace_tourer_02.jpg

 

 

 

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Just to be clear: I'm gonna scratch build the caravan out of carton. I think it is quite doable, so let's hope it is gonna work.

The car and the plane are "old fashioned" kits, so that will be no problem (I hope... :think:

 

Pilots are from both airfix and revell sets, so no big problems there (well, I gotta paint them... )

They will differ in size, but men in real life do too!

 

spit_box_groundcrew.jpg

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2 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

“Dont come and tell,

       Ring this like hell !”

 

a quote from a bell outside an alert shack during the Battle of Britain.  

Yes, exactly this.

 

The more I read and see (documentaries) about this, the more I understand the tremendous strain they were under. And the more I respect their tremendous courage. "We just had to do it" For me. looking back, it is both understandable and incomprehensible that those men could do it... But they did... and I'm thankful they did. Again: it's my small 'Thank You' to those who were so invaluable in defending the last free country in Europe at the time and all those people in Britain who had to suffer defending it.

 

You may or may not know it, but, hearing from my older relatives who were occupied back then, the British holding back the Nazi's back then felt likle a start of a victory. Our (Dutch) queen Wilhelmina speaking on BBC London was a giant boost in morale. Just imagine what a defeat (or cease fire with the Nazis) would have been. It would have felt as a complete defeat.

 

That's why I want to honour the Few with this diorama.

 

 

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As it was Easter, I had a little time and started the build. Nothing special on the interior, and the sides went together without any problems. I really like to open the hood, so I cut out the side door.

 

spit_01.jpg

 

 

DSC05509.jpg

Edited by Dorbeck
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And last for today, but not least. I've made a plan for the caravan. Based on the photo and the size of the pilots, I made a rough sketch of the size. Next is to make a 3D model out of this sketches....:think: I've found some pictures of this kind of carvans in civilian use though... that's a great help!

 

DSC06057.jpg

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I am similarly obsessed with the Battle of Britain, and am very interested in this project, having started something very similar last year. I have the Nissen hut vacform from Amera mouldings, and have completed the two 602 sqn spitfires standing ready to go; I have a Bofors gun awaiting painting, and a CMK BoB resin pilot figures to bring it to life. Am currently installing plastic 'windows' in the Nissen hut before adding fake grass and other bits and pieces; your project is therefore right up my line of interest. Am looking forward to seeing more done in due course!

 

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I think this will look really good, a nice idea for a dio & one I'll enjoy watching come together. Pity there's no 1/72 1936 Lagonda (I think it's a Lagonda) kits about, that would have had much more flair than an 8 HP Hillman(?)

I wonder what squadron the original photo was, maybe a RAuxAF with a posh motor like that.

Steve.

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  • 4 months later...

@stevehnz The aircraft in the background appears to be a Hudson (could easily be wrong in that score) with covers over the engines. So find out who flew Hudsons at that time and from where and you'll figure out which squadron the Hurricane belongs to.

 

DennisTheBear

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On 7/4/2018 at 03:35, stevehnz said:

I think this will look really good, a nice idea for a dio & one I'll enjoy watching come together. Pity there's no 1/72 1936 Lagonda (I think it's a Lagonda) kits about, that would have had much more flair than an 8 HP Hillman(?)

I wonder what squadron the original photo was, maybe a RAuxAF with a posh motor like that.

Steve.

 

18 minutes ago, DennisTheBear said:

@stevehnz The aircraft in the background appears to be a Hudson (could easily be wrong in that score) with covers over the engines. So find out who flew Hudsons at that time and from where and you'll figure out which squadron the Hurricane belongs to.

 

DennisTheBear

 looking at the pic enlarged,  serial could be L1922

it's an early plane,  looks to be fabric winged from the position of the landing light.

codes could be JU

waiting1940.jpg

note same squared off codes

67b4fb0d9f2a2b103fad39ac479c4779.jpg

 

 

bingo

Quote

F/L Henry M "Mike" Ferriss (left) of No 111 Squadron RAF waits at readiness outside a caravan at a dispersal at RAF Wick alongside Hurricane Mk I JU-K in 1940. On 18 May, he claimed successes against 3 Me 110 fighters and probably another, but admitted having shot a crew on their parachutes after seeing them bailing out and clearly falling in German-held territory. Ferris was awarded a DFC on 21 June for 7 recorded victories.

 

7f071d31eb89c3e594e129aec6321f5b.jpg

top of the K is visible

HTH

T

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  • 5 months later...
  • 1 year later...
On 4/7/2018 at 3:35 AM, stevehnz said:

I think this will look really good, a nice idea for a dio & one I'll enjoy watching come together. Pity there's no 1/72 1936 Lagonda (I think it's a Lagonda) kits about, that would have had much more flair than an 8 HP Hillman(?)

I wonder what squadron the original photo was, maybe a RAuxAF with a posh motor like that.

Steve.

Maybe of interest, the car is a Lagonda 3L saloon, early 1930's.

G_Mendes

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