Hurricane airframe L1934

[JackG]

There is an early photo of this Hurricane while with No.3 squadron:

 

 

On 23 April 1940, L1934 was involved in a landing accident.   Repairs are mentioned, but possibly  at this time the wings were replaced with metal type?

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=L1934 

 

Wondering too, if after repairs the air frame was sent to No.1 Squadron because the same serial code has appeared when researching Mark Henry "Hilly" Brown.  Can anyone confirm L1934 was his mount when he achieved ace status on May 17th 1940?  I thought I had read this on the net, but can't find it where.  Only later entries for this serial show up:

https://aircrewremembered.com/RCAFNotesDatabase/?q=brown+and+mark

http://www.cieldegloire.com/003_brown_m_h.php

 

regards,

Jack

 

[Smithy]

Hi Jack,

 

I don't think that Hilly would have been flying L1934 on the 17th May. Most of the detailed records of 1 Sqn in France after the Blitzkrieg are lost, however L1934 isn't mentioned as operationally flying with 1 Sqn until September (the airframe is not mentioned in any existent July or August records), and being an L series from the first production batch from Hawker then you have to assume that she was almost certainly rewinged (and possibly/probably enjoyed an engine rebuild as well) after the accident in late April and she was possibly out of frontline service until being allocated to 1.

 

Cheers,

 

Tim

[JackG]

Thanks Tim.

 

I found one more serial (L1974) here:

http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/1_squadron.html

 

So combined with the French link posted earlier, that gives four possible serials for 'Hilly" Brown during May 1940.   No clue about individual fuselage code, though found a log book entry for 17th May 1940 having him position no.2 of Red Section.  I considered a fictitious letter H for 'Hilly' but have to rule it out as his squadron mate Soper had that letter code on air frame L1905 on that very same day.

 

regards,

Jack

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by JackG

[tango98]

Jack,

A quick scan through my Hurricane files more or less confirms what Smithy has posted.

incidentally, what was Browns’ claim(s) for on 17th May?

 

Cheers

Dave

[JackG]

hi Dave ... according to here, he had one confirmed Me110 and shared one He111.

http://acesofww2.com/can/aces/brown/

 

Also depends where you reference, some say he became an ace on the 14th - maybe they combined shares to reach the magic number five?

 

regards,

jack

[Smithy]

1 hour ago, JackG said:

Also depends where you reference, some say he became an ace on the 14th - maybe they combined shares to reach the magic number five?

 

regards,

jack

 

As with many who fought during the Blitzkrieg with the AASF squadrons in France claims are almost certainly not conclusive. The 14th date comes from the reconstruction of claims after 1 Sqn had returned from France as can be seen in Shores and Williams' "Aces High". Incidentally neither "Aces High" nor "Twelve Days in May" list the He111 as shared but rather as an individual victory.

 

Cheers,

 

Tim