Any Mosquito experts here?

[Jazzy Jase]

I've posted this on the D-Day GB thread, but hoping to get a wider audience from here. I'm thinking of building Tamiya's 1/72 Mosquito VI for the D-Day group build.

The actual aircraft I've got in mind is NT137 TH-T 418 Sqn RCAF `Lady Luck'. The decals for which can be found from Eagle Strike on Hannants.

I've done some digging and I'm fairly sure this aircraft would have taken part in D-Day, but I can find no reference of it ever receiving invasion stripes. Can anyone confirm if it did take part and whether I need to give it stripes?

Edited December 21, 2008 by Jazzy Jase

[Edgar]

NT137 flew on operations from 2-6-44 to 19-6-44, but, according to "Aircraft for the Many," didn't operate on D-day itself (in fact 418 might not have been used, at all, on the day.) As they were later deployed, at night, against the V1s, it's possible they were held in reserve. The only photo, of NT137, that I can find, has no stripes, but doesn't give a date.

Edgar

[timbo33]

This is from Warpaint Special No. 3

This shows the aircraft you're interested in 'in (presumably early) 1944

This one shows an aircraft from the same Squadron in late 1944 with night undersurfaces and identification stripes on underside only - doesn't look like it had D-Day stripes later overpainted?

HTH?

Tim

[Jazzy Jase]

Thanks Edgar and Tim,

Some interesting information there.

The rules of the Group build says I have to build an aircraft that actually flew on D-Day.

I would be happy to build either of those 418 squadron aircraft as I can get hold of the decals. But if what Edgar says about 418 not taking part is true then that rules them both out.

The RAF Website lists 418 as taking part so I will ask the group build hosts whether or not they will allow me to enter one of those aircraft.

[Bill B]

NT137 was coded TH-H not TH-T. I have two photographs of the complete aircraft taken some 3 to 4 months apart both bearing individual letter H. You will like one photo as NT137 has black & white invasion stripes under the rear fuselage. This was taken on 3 October 1944 when it left the squadron for major repairs (the rudder & tailplane were severely shot up on an op to Munich) & thence to 13 OTU. I don't know whether NT137 flew on ops on D-Day but she was delivered to 418 in early June. Colour scheme was the standard DG/MSG & she had narrow, pointed propellor blades.

HTH,

Bill

[Jazzy Jase]

Cheers Bill. Any info on HR241/TH-M?

Seems like there are too many questions over NT137 especially as all the decals have TH-T, so I couldn't do TH-H.