Spitfire Mk Ia ID

[wally7506]

96 Squadron with Saint emblem.  Pilot standing on the wing is Sherrington.

 

 

Anyone know more?  Serial?  Individual letter (confirmed)?

 

cheers

 

wally 7506 at yahoo

Edited December 1, 2018 by wally7506

[Sturmovik]

I searched for "Sherrington Spitfire" on Google, and I found some artwork about a pilot named Tom Sherrington from 92nd Squadron, flying on a spitfire coded QJ, and an unidentified letter: https://www.aviartnutkins.com/pilots/A26_Fallen_Ea

 

I also searched for "spitfire mk i qj u," and found a flight photo of many 92nd Squadron's Spitfire Is with the same letter size as the aircraft you posted: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/330310953893727951/

 

The Spitfire Mk.I you're looking for may have been coded QJ U and flown by Tom Sherrington of 92nd Squadron. I don't know about the serial number though.

 

Hope this helps.

[Smithy]

92 Sqn is a favourite of mine so I think I can help in some small way here.

 

The pilot is Jock Sherrington who was a member of B Flight, flying in both Green and Blue sections. Unfortunately you can't really make a call that the individual aircraft letter is U due to the fact that at this stage of the war 92 carried their squadron code (QJ) in front of the roundel on the starboard side. What we're seeing in this image is the J. Obviously being a B Flight machine then there is the possibility that it was U but we can't base this on the photograph.

 

The serial number for this Spit is speculative based on the aircraft Jock flew but there is quite a good possibility that it's N3032 as the photograph is most likely from July and this was a regular mount for Jock at the time.

[72modeler]

3 hours ago, Smithy said:

92 Sqn is a favourite of mine so I think I can help in some small way here.

 

The pilot is Jock Sherrington who was a member of B Flight, flying in both Green and Blue sections. Unfortunately you can't really make a call that the individual aircraft letter is U due to the fact that at this stage of the war 92 carried their squadron code (QJ) in front of the roundel on the starboard side. What we're seeing in this image is the J. Obviously being a B Flight machine then there is the possibility that it was U but we can't base this on the photograph.

 

The serial number for this Spit is speculative based on the aircraft Jock flew but there is quite a good possibility that it's N3032 as the photograph is most likely from July and this was a regular mount for Jock at the time.

Does this help in any way?

Mike

 

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=21996

[Smithy]

7 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

Does this help in any way?

Mike

 

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=21996

 

Not really as it's before the aircraft was transferred to 92.

 

N3032 got pranged several times in her career and was even severely shot up once when Jock was flying her. On the 21st July at 1745 he was involved with an interception over Sevenoaks and N3032 was badly shot up and had to land at Manston. It was Jock's first flight having just returned from leave so an eventful return to the squadron.

[Peter Roberts]

 

Looks like there is some writing behind the pilot as well, a word ending in 't' by the look of it. Possibly 'The Saint' (?)

 

There is also a post on Pinterest stating he was flying QJ-U when he shot down a 109, but no information about how that code was arrived at so there may have been an assumption made based on the photo you have.

 

PR

Edited December 2, 2018 by Peter Roberts

[Smithy]

Jock shot down a 109 on the 25th October but he definitely wasn't flying QJ-U on that sortie as that was being flown by John Mansel-Lewis who experienced engine trouble with it back firing and cutting out and had to land at the small pre-war field at Penshurst.

 

The "saint" decorated Spit almost certainly dates from earlier in the summer.

[Peter Roberts]

Thanks Smithy, good to get clarification on that.

 

PR

[wally7506]

Thank you all.  You helped me figure out that NOBODY really knows the serial or individual letter for this Spitfire -- which is a shame. 😞

[Grey Beema]

I think the best you'll get is a set serial numbers of aircraft flown by this pilot, which you can get from the ORB.  Which of these aircraft match to that picture (if any of them do) you may never find out.  Unless of course you find a picture of the aircraft with Saint marking, Sqn Codes and serial number....

 

I have a couple of these searches going on at the moment but the other way round.  I have squadron codes and dates but no serial number...  I do have a possible range of serial numbers though...