Jump to content

George Beurling’s Malta Spitfire


tk1608

Recommended Posts

Hi all

 

I’ve started airfix’s 1:48 spit Mk V and I’m thinking of building it as Beurling’s Spit mk v with the large chin intake.

I have decals from peddinghaus for

it, but the codes are a bright yellow matching the Fuselage roundel edges.

Does anyone know if the yellow codes are correct. ? 
I can’t find any actual pictures of Beurling’s  spit, but others from that time seem to either have white codes or perhaps a light grey. There’s a restored one in the Malta museum, not as Beurling’s aircraft but same camo, and the codes on that look to be a light grey. I know it’s not the best idea to use restored aircraft as good ref from that time, but maybe they have reliable info..

Anyway, hope someone can advise.

 

thanks a lot

Phil

Edited by tk1608
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Latest publication (2013) on the Malta Spitfire subject by Brian Cauchi, based on the illustrations -  yellow codes appear to be reserved to just 185 and 229 Squadrons, while Beurling flew for 249 Squadron.   In those illustrations of 249 with two digit fuselage codes beginning with T, he only describes them as grey coloured.

 

Beurling had no personal mount, during those hectic days pilots flew whatever Spit was serviceable.  He  flew both the Vb and Vc over Malta,  see his scoreboard below for particulars:

 

F6xydWs.png

 

 

regards,

Jack

 

Edited by JackG
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe C•25 and 3•W would be ferry codes as applied when loaded onto carriers?   These could probably be traced back to not only a specific carrier, but also the named operation that brought the aircraft to Malta.  Again, because the situation at that time, these codes were retained,  instead of replacing with Squadron codes that were  operating over Malta.   The code's colour appear to be white.

 

Here was my attempt of 3W from a past Malta GB:

 

403053923.jpg&key=f641253642528f18190e9e

 

Had no photo specific reference, but going by other similar marked tropical Spitfires, the letter was always placed behind the cockpit, while the number towards the tail end.

 

regards,

Jack

 


 

 

Edited by JackG
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3.x  was the code applied to the first of two squadrons on the Wasp, in Operation Bowery.

C.xx appears to be the code allocated in Gibraltar to aircraft delivered by Eagle, but records linked to the code are particularly poor for these.

 

Brian's excellent book is well worth getting, if you can find one, but the latest work on Malta Spitfire colours was published by Paul Lucas in SAM a few years back.  Sadly the evidence does show that the majority of this delivery were in Temperate Sea Scheme, but it is possible that there were a few examples left over from the previous Operation Calendar which would be in the Dark Mediterranean Blue, which includes BR126 but not BR128.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info. I knew it’d be a leading question :)

Ok then, I was just getting used to yellow codes ;) 

The question is now, who makes codes in that light shade of grey.

Hannants grey sheet looks too dark to me.
If I can’t find any, might just go with the yellow, I’ve seen a few builds with them that look really good.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would say that 249 Sqn codes on the darker blue schemes were light blue,...... similar to Azure Blue,... here is a recent post I did;

 

And another,.....I built T-M years ago and would say that these codes were probably light blue too;

 

Cheers

          Tony

  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Tony

Do you think then, that Beurling’s spit was at first painted mid stone/dark earth/azure, with light blue codes, then possibly changed later to slate grey/dark earth/azure with light blue codes ?
thanks

Phil
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, tk1608 said:

Hi Tony

Do you think then, that Beurling’s spit was at first painted mid stone/dark earth/azure, with light blue codes, then possibly changed later to slate grey/dark earth/azure with light blue codes ?
thanks

Phil
 

I really don`t know for sure,...... from the few photo`s that I have seen of a Spit in Malta bearing Buerlings kills,....it seems to have a darker nose area and has a lighter camouflage colour around the cockpit area, split by a solid, wavy demarcation. The single code letter that I can see, a T,.... appears to be white.  and it appears on a darker area of colour,...... the aircraft appears to have been randomly covered in areas with a blue colour which around the nose at least is not following any standard camo demarcation,...... but whether it has worn away in places I cannot tell.

I was mainly saying that for the darker painted (Dark Blue) 249 Sqn Spit V`s I think they had light blue T-A+ codes rather than yellow. Earlier 249 Sqn Spits appear to have white T-A+ codes,....... I don`t think that yellow was ever used by the unit? 

Cheers

           Tony

 

The photo I`m talking about appears in the book `With All Modesty' by Colin Pomeroy,..... he said that I could use it in my 2nd Malta book,..... but expressly asked that I not post it on the internet or electronically,..... which is fair enough;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modesty-veterans-tales-battle-Malta/dp/B001QGR8MK/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=with+all+modesty&qid=1596983922&s=books&sr=1-2

Edited by tonyot
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, tonyot said:

I really don`t know for sure,...... from the few photo`s that I have seen of a Spit in Malta bearing Buerlings kills,....it seems to have a darker nose area and has a lighter camouflage colour around the cockpit area, split by a solid, wavy demarcation. The single code letter that I can see, a T,.... appears to be white.  and it appears on a darker area of colour,...... the aircraft appears to have been randomly covered in areas with a blue colour which around the nose at least is not following any standard camo demarcation,...... but whether it has worn away in places I cannot tell.

I was mainly saying that for the darker painted (Dark Blue) 249 Sqn Spit V`s I think they had light blue T-A+ codes rather than yellow. Earlier 249 Sqn Spits appear to have white T-A+ codes,....... I don`t think that yellow was ever used by the unit? 

Cheers

           Tony

 

The photo I`m talking about appears in the book `With All Modesty' by Colin Pomeroy,..... he said that I could use it in my 2nd Malta book,..... but expressly asked that I not post it on the internet or electronically,..... which is fair enough;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modesty-veterans-tales-battle-Malta/dp/B001QGR8MK/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=with+all+modesty&qid=1596983922&s=books&sr=1-2

Hello Mister Tony,

Do you have the reference of your second book about Malta. I had already the first one, and I am interested by this theater of the WW II.

Already made more than 200 models in 1/72 of both side.

 

Best regard

 

Alain

 

PS : do somebody have an idea about Telford this year?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, MACALAIN said:

Hello Mister Tony,

Do you have the reference of your second book about Malta. I had already the first one, and I am interested by this theater of the WW II.

Already made more than 200 models in 1/72 of both side.

 

Best regard

 

Alain

 

PS : do somebody have an idea about Telford this year?

Hello Alain,..... I`m sorry but the 2nd book is not going ahead,....... I never heard back from the publisher! 

 

It is not looking good for Telford,..... I would be surprised if it was allowed to take place,..... especially as an international event.

Cheers

          Tony

  • Sad 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, tonyot said:

Hello Alain,..... I`m sorry but the 2nd book is not going ahead,....... I never heard back from the publisher! 

 

It is not looking good for Telford,..... I would be surprised if it was allowed to take place,..... especially as an international event.

Cheers

          Tony

Sad news Tony, for both

 

Alain

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...