19 Squadron Cannon Armed Spitfire MkI Serial Number Question.

[Alex Gordon]

G'day Chums,

As a part of my ongoing one of each variant of Spitfire project I have a cannon armed MkI on the go.I'm wanting to represent the initial .303less version as delivered to 19 Squadron in June 1940.My go to serial number source lists the following;

 

R6761 Ia    788 EA MIII FF 18-6-40 24MU 19-6-40 6MU  21-6-40 cannon wing fitt     19Sq 27-6-40
R6762 Ia    789 EA MIII FF 16-6-40                          6MU  17-6-40 cannon wing fitt 7OTU 21-6-40  ? first cannon Spitfire to RAF 19Sq 27-6-40

R6770 Ib    797 EA MIII FF 20-6-40 (CG)                 6MU  23-6-40 cannon wing fitt     19Sq 27-6-40
R6776 Ia    807 EA MIII FF 22-6-40 (CG)                 6MU  25-6-40 cannon wing fitt     19Sq 27-6-40  
R6809 Ia    813 EA MIII FF 26-6-40 (CG)                 6MU  28-6-40 cannon wing fitt     19Sq 5-7-40
R6833 Ia    827 EA MIII FF 28-6-40 (CG)                 6MU  29-6-40 cannon wing fitt     19Sq 1-7-40
R6888 Ia    846 EA MIII FF 3-7-40                            8MU    5-7-40 cannon wing fitt    19Sq 11-7-40
R6889 Ib    847 EA MIII FF 3-7-40 (CMG)                8MU   4-7-40 cannon wing fitt     19Sq 11-7-40  
R6890 Ia    849 EA MIII FF 4-7-40                            8MU   8-7-40 cannon wing fitt     19Sq 11-7-40
R6897 Ia    855 EA MIII FF 5-7-40 (CMG)               6MU    7-7-40 cannon wing fitt      19Sq 11-7-40
R6904 Ia    863 EA MIII FF 8-7-40 (CMG)               6MU  10-7-40 cannon wing fitt     19Sq 13-7-40
R6911 Ia    870 EA MIII FF 10-7-40 (CMG)             6MU  11-7-40 cannon wing fitt        19Sq 14-7-40  
R6912 Ia    871 EA MIII FF 10-7-40 (CMG)             6MU  11-7-40 cannon wing fitt        19Sq 14-7-40
R6917 Ia    876 EA MIII FF 11-7-40 (CMG)             6MU  11-7-40 cannon wing fitt        19Sq 14-7-40
R6919 Ia    878 EA MIII FF 11-7-40 (CMG)             6MU                cannon wing fitt        19Sq 14-7-40
R6923 Ia    883 EA MIII FF 12-7-40 (CMG)             6MU  16-7-40 cannon wing fitt      19Sq 22-7-40
R6924 Ia    893 EA MIII FF 15-7-40 (CMG)             6MU  16-7-40 cannon wing fitt      19Sq 19-7-40
R6958 Ia    890 EA MIII FF 15-7-40 (CMG)             6MU  16-7-40 cannon wing fitt      19Sq 30-7-40

 

Does anyone have any serial number to individual aircraft letter tie-ups for early to mid July 1940? My researching so far has drawn a blank.

 

 

[Ossington 2]

Just checked TNA, in case you hadn't. Alas, AIR27/252/19, the Record of Events, only lists serials and names. Unless there is an appendix somewhere, with a listing, it would seem to be down to pilots log books.

[Graham Boak]

I believe that these aircraft were returned to 19 Sq, or at least some were, and this was true after their conversion to Mk.Vs.  So it is possible that their individual codes remained unchanged.

 

The AZ kit of these aircraft does offer examples of these codes.  As usual for models, the sources are not quoted so there is room for some questioning.

[Graham Boak]

OK, the AZ kit "Spitfire Mk.IB" offers one 19 Sq example, QV.H R6776, Fowlmere August 1940.

 

The other example is actually a 92 Sq example, QJ.F R6908, Biggin Hill December 1940.  So definitely a Mk.Ib not a Cannon-armed Mk.I.  Given the popularity of these 92 Sq aircraft, perhaps they were what I was thinking of...

[Alex Gordon]

Thank you chums. @Ossington I hadn't looked at that,actually I didn't know it existed never mind being available.While it only shows serial numbers it does show that a number of Ia spitfires were still being flown alongside the cannon armed aircraft.The ones I have derived from that are,in no particular order,K9087,N3238,R6625,N3198,R6627,N3040,R6687,N3199,L1027,L1042,K9825,N3234,and K9944.

 

@Graham Boak that's a good thought.The above documents list more than 30 airframes for July 1940 which is more than a squadrons complement.The delivery record I quoted above shows that the initial wing change could take as little as a couple of days so keeping the aircraft letter would make sense and avoid wasting time repainting.I didn't make a note of attrition or absence in the AIR27/252/19 documents so I don't know how long any particular airframe was on the strength.

 

I'm going to take a punt on R6776 having the same aircraft letter before the application of the underwing roundels in August 1940 as depicted in the AZ profile.

 

Thanks again chums,much appreciated.

Edited November 6, 2021 by Alex Gordon