HELLER SPITFIRE XVI IDENTITY?

[fishplanebeer]

Dear All,

 

Just bought an old Heller Spitfire XVI kit, not the original one in silver livery but the later re-boxed version with camo finish.

 

To my mind it is still a very good kit, albeit with raised panel lines, but the kit instructions do not confirm its identity so need some help if possible please?

 

The squadron codes of GE confirm it to be from 349 squadron who used these Spits around the time the war ended and then subsequently disbanded and became of the fledgling Belgian Air Force but the serial number is incomplete, starting with TB and ending ?0. Also the personal marking are curious as they seem to indicated a SL pennant, victory markings and an inscription of 'Winston Churchill' so no idea which SL this relates to. My only guesses are Lallemand and Van Der Velde who both flew with the unit. I'm guessing the former as he was active with the unit during WW2 but there again so was Van Der Velde before he became SL after Lallemand.

 

Kind Regards

Colin.

[Dave Swindell]

349 (Belgian) Sqn. TB900/GE-D (Sqn/Ldr Raymond A.F. Lallemant) | Fassberg AB (Germany) 1945

http://www.belgian-wings.be/Webpages/Navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/post_ww2/Supermarine Spitfire XVI/Spitfire XVI TB900 GE-D.html

[fishplanebeer]

Dave,

 

Brilliant, thank you so much!

 

I'm assuming the codes would have been MSG and not the very dodgy green in the kit and that the other score markings relate to vehicles destroyed on ground attack missions?

 

Kind Regards

Colin.

[Dave Swindell]

1 hour ago, fishplanebeer said:

Dave,

 

Brilliant, thank you so much!

 

I'm assuming the codes would have been MSG and not the very dodgy green in the kit and that the other score markings relate to vehicles destroyed on ground attack missions?

 

Kind Regards

Colin.

You're welcome Colin

The kit decal colour for the codes is indeed a bit dodgy. From the photo above the codes look a bit on the light side for the expected medium sea grey, so I think the dodgy colour is an attempt at sky codes.

[303sqn]

MSG was used for codes with the TL Scheme, DG/DE. Sky with the DF Scheme, OG/DG MSG undersides.

[fishplanebeer]

Dave,

 

My reference source is the wonderful book by Macdonald Press, 'Fighter Squadrons of the RAF & Their Aircraft' dated 1969 and bought when new by me when I was ten years old so not perhaps the most up to date reference these days but damn good none the less. It doesn't include the serial for GE-D but your photo nails it and I agree that the tone looks more like Sky than MSG so I'll go with this instead. Plus the latest reply would also seem to confirm this as well.

 

Many thanks.

 

Kind Regards

Colin.

[Seahawk]

And the serial is incomplete because the Sky rear fuselage band was ordered painted out on 2 ATAF aircraft around the beginning of Jan 45.  You can just see the difference in paint in the photo.  So on one side the serial will read TB[painted out band] and on the other [painted out band]0.  The same order mandated black spinners.