273 Squadron Fulmars - Colour Scheme?

[AndyL]

Off the back of my work into the Boulton Paul Defiant, I have been given a copy of the log book owned by Noel Constantine. He was with 141 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, and later served with 23, 125, 264 and 87 Squadrons, before being posted to Ceylon to take command of 273 Squadron, the only RAF Fulmar squadron.  As this area is out of my field of knowledge, I'd like to ask if anyone knows what colour schemes these Fulmars would have worn; all bar one of the aircraft he flew were from the X serial range.

 

So, any ideas?

 

Cheers,

Andy

[ClaudioN]

I'd think Fulmars for 273 Sqn. RAF were taken from FAA storage at China Bay. I assume they were in plain Extra Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey/Sky FAA camouflage, with the usual set of roundels and fin flash. A picture of a couple of Fulmars in this finish without any individual code, said to be of 273 Sqn., is shown in "The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth" by J.J. Halley.

 

Claudio

 

[AndyL]

16 hours ago, ClaudioN said:

I'd think Fulmars for 273 Sqn. RAF were taken from FAA storage at China Bay. I assume they were in plain Extra Dark Sea Grey/Dark Slate Grey/Sky FAA camouflage, with the usual set of roundels and fin flash. A picture of a couple of Fulmars in this finish without any individual code, said to be of 273 Sqn., is shown in "The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth" by J.J. Halley.

 

Claudio

 

Brilliant, thank you very much.

[JWM]

Interesting, I did not know that Fulmars served in Ceylon. After a while of googling I have found some photos suggested to be taken on Far East... https://pacificeagles.net/fairey-fulmar/ I am not if they are in fact... Maybe only in Med...

Regards 

JW

[Lee Howard]

Andy

 

As far as is known the aircraft retained their standard FAA camouflage.

 

I've sent you a PM, by the way.

 

Regards

 

Lee

[tonyot]

What Claudio said Andy,...... be nice if they wore codes but I`ve never found proof of it.  The RAF had form for using stored Fleet Air Arm aircraft,...... such as Malta (Sea Gladiators) and Malaya (Albacores). 

[EwenS]

8 minutes ago, tonyot said:

What Claudio said Andy,...... be nice if they wore codes but I`ve never found proof of it.  The RAF had form for using stored Fleet Air Arm aircraft,...... such as Malta (Sea Gladiators) and Malaya (Albacores). 

And continued to do so until 1945. 415/119 with Albacores and the latter continuing with Swordfish.

[KRK4m]

12 hours ago, JWM said:

Interesting, I did not know that Fulmars served in Ceylon. After a while of googling I have found some photos suggested to be taken on Far East... https://pacificeagles.net/fairey-fulmar/ I am not if they are in fact... Maybe only in Med...

Regards 

JW

 

They were there definitely.

Warpaint No.41 even includes the color profile of Fulmar taking part in Ceylon clashes vs. JNAF.

Unfortunately, this is the FAA aircraft from HMS Illustrious, not the one from No. 273 Squadron RAF.

Cheers

Michael

[tonyot]

2 hours ago, EwenS said:

And continued to do so until 1945. 415/119 with Albacores and the latter continuing with Swordfish.

To be fair I meant stored overseas where the RAF did not have enough aircraft.  415/119 took over aircraft from a Fleet Air Arm unit which had been flying the role but were withdrawn. 

[Seahawk]

With apologies to OP for wandering off topic, Flypast for Jan 87 has (p.20-1) a photo of a Fulmar in "SEAC" (actually East Indies Fleet) markings.  Unfortunately the photo is cut off just aft of the roundel.  It is used to illustrate an article of reminiscences by Lt Cdr C Pountney but alas the latter only covers his earlier career flying Swordfish from Ark Royal in the Med, so there are no details of the aircraft or unit identity (and Sturtivant's FAA Aircraft doesn't list any Fulmars flown by him).  But at least it shows that Fulmars hung around in the Far East long enough to wear EIF markings.  My money is on a Fleet Requirements Unit: I suppose a carrier-based night-fighter is just possible but, although I can see glare shields, I can't detect any radar aerials.

 

The article is an extract from Uncle's War In The Fleet Air Arm by Lt-Cdr Cyril Pountney, published by United Writers Publications, Penzance, Cornwall, softback, 156pp, illustrated.  Anyone got it? 

Edited July 15, 2021 by Seahawk

[Lee Howard]

On 12/07/2021 at 12:05, Seahawk said:

With apologies to OP for wandering off topic, Flypast for Jan 87 has (p.20-1) a photo of a Fulmar in "SEAC" (actually East Indies Fleet) markings.  Unfortunately the photo is cut off just aft of the roundel.  It is used to illustrate an article of reminiscences by Lt Cdr C Pountney but alas the latter only covers his earlier career flying Swordfish from Ark Royal in the Med, so there are no details of the aircraft or unit identity (and Sturtivant's FAA Aircraft doesn't list any Fulmars flown by him).  But at least it shows that Fulmars hung around in the Far East long enough to wear EIF markings.  My money is on a Fleet Requirements Unit: I suppose a carrier-based night-fighter is just possible but, although I can see glare shields, I can't detect any radar aerials.

 

The article is an extract from Uncle's War In The Fleet Air Arm by Lt-Cdr Cyril Pountney, published by United Writers Publications, Penzance, Cornwall, softback, 156pp, illustrated.  Anyone got it? 

In Pountney's logbook (his third - first lost in Ark Royal, second when shot down by Japanese in April 1942) extract we have, Fulmar X8767 was used for local communications flying while he was Lt Cdr Flying (Little 'F') at RNAY Nairobi during early 1943. This is as far east as he got before returning to the UK in May 1944.

 

HTH