Mosquito HR338 OM-B and 107 squadron colour from 1947

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

 

The subject is Mosquito FB.6 HR338 OM-B 107 Sqn Wahn 1947-48

 

107 Sqn transferred from Gütersloh to RAF Station Wahn for it's fourth Squadron November 1947. The other three Mosquito squadrons there were 98 (Red), 4 (Blue) and 14 (Yellow). The 69 Sqn had been disbanded 6.11.47 and 21 Sqn had disbanded day later 7.11.47. Squadron colours given in parentheses.

 

As all three primary colours were already reserved 107 squadron had to choose something else:

107 Sqn ORB:
"13.11.47 Thursday. The squadron air party left for Wahn, K, D, J, Y, and T were flown by C.O: F/L Manning-Lever, F/O Carty, F/O Cook, F/L Chamberlain and P.II Aust respectively..."
"18.11.47 ... our spinners (aircraft) were scrapped (Sic!, KL) prior to their first coat of green, which is to be the new Squadron colour..."
"21.11.47 ... The letters were painted green on some aircraft..."
"4.12.47 Thursday. F/O Cook flew in aircraft HR.338 to Celle and landed at Gutersloh."
"15.4.48 Thursday. P.I Harvey and Nav.II Skipper flew on local G.C.A. in B. The undercarriage would not lock down and after several attempts to make it do so P.I Harvey successfully belly landed  the aircraft on the soft ground the other side of the airfield."  From Mark Huxtable's Mosquito Fates data (mossie.org) we know the "B" was HR338 which apparently was earlier with 4 Sqn.

 

OM-B HR338 is the bottom one here:

Profile also in Wings Palette with the same colours:
http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/77/pics/9_34.jpg

 

Super Scale 72-718 has decals for the OM-B HR338 with these exact colours.. They have it also in 1/48.

 

My questions and theme for discussion are:

• Should the Squadron badge bird be blue? Googling 107 Sqn badge brings only blue two-headed birds.
• There should be thin light blue circle around the squdron badge?
• Should the spinners, codes and perhaps fuselage nose too be in 107 squadron colour GREEN?
• Who ordered the squadron colours? BAFO HQ, Station commander or someone else? At the time all BAFO wings had been disbanded.
• Is there a photo available for OM-B HR338?

 

I tried to create discussion of the RAF BAFO squadron colours in an earlier thread BAFO Mosquito squadrons at Wahn 1947, magazine article?
https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235082463-bafo-mosquito-squadrons-at-wahn-1947-magazine-article/

 

Cheers,

Kari

 

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by Kari Lumppio

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

 

Monologue continues. Thanks to kind Canadian helpers I now have copy of IPMS Canada Random Thoughts Vol2-4, April 1969 article Mosquio Sqns in service with the 2nd TAF BAFO 1948-1949 by J A Riach.

 

I quote:

"No 107 Sqdn Code letters OM and spinners in emerald green. Sqdn crest carried as above" (in a white disc, approx. 2' 6" dia., on fin)

 

The article also gives 107 Sqn crest eagle colours as blue with red outline to feathers, talons orange, beak orange, Collar yellow.

 

Now to find a photo.

 

Cheers,

Kari

 

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by Kari Lumppio

[Roland Pulfrew]

I would be very surprised if the Squadron had completely changed their badge from that only awarded in 1938. http://www.rafht.co.uk/index.php/2016/06/07/107-sqn/
 

Pretty certain (but standby to be corrected) it would have been blue.

[Erik Hendriks]

Hi all

 

I'm looking for info on probably the same Mosquitoes, but after transition from 107 to 11 squadron. From what I've managed to find out till now is that 11 sqn retained the OM squadron codes as the resurection of 11 sqn was simply a renumbering of 107 sqn. (On a side note, a couple of years later the same happened again with 256 sqn being renumbered into 11 sqn.)

 

Does anyone have any information on Mosquitoes in use with 11 sqn or a lead that will point me to some pictures? 107 sqn had its emblem on the vertical tail. Were these removed or replaced by the double eagles from 11 sqn? And if so, was the emblem the same as that seen on the Hawker Harts (white circle)? and, what colors were the prop spinners?

 

Ah.... so many questions...

 

Erik

Edited May 19, 2021 by Erik Hendriks
typos

[The wooksta V2.0]

Apparently 11 sqn aircraft were very camera shy and the only photo I know of is of SZ984. That appears in Mosquito: An Illustrated History vol.2 by Ian Thirsk, p.251.

 

Allocated to 605, remained at Volkel until transferred to 107 at Wahn in April 48. Continued to serve with 107 then 11 until July 50. To UK and storage at 27 MU. Non effective stock Nov 50. To RAF Yatesbury as Instructional Airframe, 6809M, until sold as scrap 29 59.

 

Photographed at  Yatesbury as 6809M, it's in Med Sea Grey over night, probably with red spinners, still retaining it's 11 sqn codes EX-C, which look to be white, and post war national markings. Serials painted out. No sign of any more colourful unit insignia.

 

Looks to be a standard late FB.VI, paddle blade props and tropical filters (available from Freightdog).

 

It's an aircraft I'd like to have a crack at. 

 

There is another photo, but it's of several aircraft in flight from the front and decidedly unhelpful for id purposes.

 

The codes appear to have changed from OM to EX in late 49/early 50.

 

Other aircraft listed with 107/11 were TA118, TA581 OM-O, NS898, RS816 OM-D, RS816 OM-J, TA489 OM-D.

 

Chaz Bowyer's Mosquito Squadrons of the RAF lists a number of serial/code tie ups for aircraft used by 107.

 

Hope that's of some use.

[Erik Hendriks]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, WOOKSTA!

 

This surely helps piecing together my future Mossie. You wouldn't happen to know anything about the spinners' colors, would you?

 

Thanks again!!

 

Erik

[The wooksta V2.0]

Both Paul Lucas and Ian Thirsk agree that the spinners on EX-C were red.  Given that there are so few photos to go off for 11 Sqn, I think you could paint the spinners red and add a unit marking on the tail.  Most other units did so,  With no photos and little available info, who is to prove you wrong?

 

EX-C appears to be the only known code tie up after the change from OM.  I scoured various books and drew a blank.

 

I have similar plans for a 249 Sqn FB.26 in Kenya using Tempest markings.

 

Lookinjg forward to seeing the finished product.

 

@Kari Lumppio, there *may* be a photo of the aircraft you're looking for.  It's that common photo of a line up of 107 and 21 Sqn aircraft at Wahn with a couple of armoured cars.  It's not big enough to read the serial but I think that it's one of the aircraft.  Spinners and nose cones look to be aluminium.  Sure it's in that issue of MAM with BAFO Mosquitoes.

 

4 Squadron is the one that interests me, specifically TA539.  I've several shots but no side view!

[The wooksta V2.0]

Definitely in that photo in MAM.  That photo is in at least three books on the Mosquito, one of which (the Ian Thirsk Illustrated History) identifies HR338.

 

[The wooksta V2.0]

P.254 of the Ian Thirsk book also yields a photo of a trio of 107 sqn aircraft just before they were renumbered as 11sqn. Two are in srptandard nightfighter colours, one being possibly TA120, but no code letter as it's hidden by the wing. The middle aircraft, TA581 OM-O, is in overall Aluminium dope. All three have type D markings.

 

The letters could be either red for yellow and outlined in black. They're too light to be green.  Unsure of spinner colour but they have dark back-plates.

 

There's one other interesting photo I turned up in the Edward Shacklady book, Classic WW.II Aviation Volume 6. De Havilland Mosquito.  TBH, it's not a good book and many of the photos are mis-captiioned, but many are of interest.

 

P.156 has a photo of PZ169 OM-R. Standard night fighter scheme with type C markings, the wing upper ones look to be 36in with a yellow surround, so my guess it's taken in summer '45. Looks to be toting 100gal tanks underwing. Shot taken from starboard rear so no good view of the spinners bar a small light flash.  Code letters look to have a black surround and could be either yellow or red.  

 

Hope that's of some use.

[Erik Hendriks]

Hi Wooksta!

 

I managed to lay my hand on a copy of Ian Thirsk’s book. Wonderful piece of work!

 

Thank you for the information you’ve provided. It sure is of use!

 

You had me going there for a while. Page 254 in my example of the book only showed one picture of a couple of Mossies in a line astern formation, picture taken head on, so not of much use. Turned out, the picture you refer to is on 256 in my example. Phfew…

 

As for the book from Edward Shacklady, interesting, but I want to build my Mossie as an 11 sqn. example to fit in my evolving collection of no. 11 sqn birds.

 

Which brings me to your remark in hoping to seeing the end result. So am I J It will take some time for that moment to occur, I’m afraid. Still working on my Typhoon FGR.4 and my Bristol F2b Fighter in 1/144th scale, with a Vampire and Lightning F.6 lining up for take-off.

 

But thank you anyway for all the information you’ve managed to find and thank you for sharing it with me!

 

Erik

[The wooksta V2.0]

My apologies for the confusion. The last post was intended for @Kari Lumppio as it was dealing more with the 107 rather than 11sqn.  However, whilst it may not be of use now, it all helps build a picture.  

 

I'm still gathering the information together for 618 squadron's aircraft and the research is interesting in and of itself.

[Erik Hendriks]

Well, I did a quick search on the net. Turns out  TA581 was w/o on May 26th 1949. As 11 sqn was reestablished on October 4th 1948 it makes perfect sense that it retained this scheme. Somewhere along the line the squadron codes were probably changed. This does give some possibilities!