Air Enthusiast 1994-12

Wearing a hastily-applied ‘camouflage’ the Messerschmitt Bf 109 is none other than the famous Black 6, currently the only genuine airworthy Luftwaffe warbird anywhere in the world. Flown by Lt Heinz Ludemann of III/JG 77, Bf 109G-2/Trop w/nr 10639 Black Six (call-sign ‘PG+QJ’) was captured at Gambut Main (LG 139) on November 13, 1942. Crew from 3 Squadron RAAF could not resist the challenge to get the Gustav airworthy and with their codes ‘CV- V’, it was flown by the unit until it was ferried to Heliopolis on December 2, 1942. The Bf109 flew on to Lydda in Palestine on December 15, for evaluation by 209 Group. It flew to Shandur, Egypt, on February 21, 1943. Shipped to the UK via Liverpool, it arrived at Collyweston on December 26, 1943 and was given RAF camouflage, markings, and the serial RN228. [Editor’s collection] It first flew with 1426 Flight on February 19, 1944, later joining the Enemy Aircraft Flight at Tangmere. Moved to 47 MU at Sealand in April 1946, it was with GAFEC at Stanmore Park by 1949. Beyond Stanmore, the Gustav followed the AHB aircraft into storage at Wroughton and Fulbeck. It moved to Wattisham by 1961 and there it was the centre of an abortive restoration attempt led by F/L John Jeff Hawke. After allocation for use in the film Battle of Britain at Henlow in 1968, w/nr 10639 moved to Lyneham in October 1972 where it came under the authoritative attentions of F/L Russ Snadden and team, for an epic restoration to flying condition. In 1975, the Bf 109 moved to Northolt, in 1983 to Benson. It moved out of Benson on March 17,1991 - under its own power - the patience and skills of Russ and many others well vindicated. With the ‘paperwork’ registration G-USTV, and in its original ‘Gambut’ colours it is flown from Duxford under a joint arrangement between the Imperial War Museum and the Ministry of Defence.

Another inmate of the RAF Museum’s Battle of Britain Hall is Heinkel He 111H-23 w/nr 701152, which was flown in the UK in unusual circumstances. Yellow H, ‘NT+SL’ was allocated to USAAF Colonel Harold Watson’s cache and flown to Cherbourg for eventual shipment to the USA. Space for the Heinkel never materialised and instead it was ferried to Boxted on July 2, 1945 by the 56th Fighter Group. Personnel from the 56th had been aiding Watson in his collecting. For a brief period the 56th flew their unusual prize, carrying USAAF insignia, their code grouping ‘HV’ and a motif made up of the letters ‘W’, ‘C’ and ‘O’, from the surnames of those ‘operating’ the aircraft. The Heinkel was flown to North Weald on September 12 and on to Farnborough (now with RAF roundels!) on November 3, 1945 to take part in the famous German Aircraft Exhibition. It was packed for storage at Sealand on May 19, 1947 but was at GAFEC Stanmore Park (by 1949?) then ‘doing the rounds’ of AHB stored aircraft. It took a ‘minor role’ in the film The Battle of Britain at Henlow 1967/1968, going on display at Hendon in 1979. [Alan Curry] At Horse Guard’s parade, it is seen alongside Spitfire IX 4590, which is also on show in the Battle of Britain Hall after many years ‘on the road’ with the RAF Exhibition Flight. [MAP] It carries the colours of 609 (West Riding) Squadron as ‘PR-F’ with which it served from October 1940 to February 1941.

Hurricane I L1592 wearing the codes of 257 Squadron, part of a sequence of shots taken by William Heron’s father during a visit to London “around 1948 or 1950”. AE readers will doubtless be able to pinpoint the exact September that this selection of aircraft were displayed. L1592 never served with ’257 (film use?) and now wears the authentic codes ‘KW-Z’ of 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron and ‘flies’ in the Science Museum’s Flight gallery at South Kensington, London.

Another shot of L1592 taken at Horse Guard’s shows it in a decidedly more grubby state with a ‘code’ ‘I’ or ‘1’ on the fuselage sides - looking very much part of over-painted previously worn codes. Does this photograph pre- or post-date Mr Heron’s view? [MAP] Taken on charge on June 3, 1938 by 56 Squadron at North Weald, L1592 went on to serve with 17, 87, 43, 17, 152 and possibly 43 Squadrons before joining 615 on July 23,1940. On August 18, 1940, L1592 flown by P/O D J Looker, was damaged in a flying battle, resulting in a crash-landing near Croydon - Looker being wounded. This was the end of the Mk I’s operational career it joined 9 Bombing & Gunnery School at Penrhos in August 1941, going on to serve with 5 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit at Ternhill from April 1942 and 9 (P)AFU at Errol from February 1943. It was retired to 52 Maintenance Unit (MU) at Cardiff on October 8, 1943 but was soon removed to 27 MU at Shawbury and earmarked for ‘museum purposes’. L1592 joined the Science Museum in 1954 (helping to date the scene), although there was certainly a Battle of Britain Week at Horse Guard’s Parade in September 1955.

Spitfire IX 4590 at Horse Guard’s parade, which is also on show in the Battle of Britain Hall after many years ‘on the road’ with the RAF Exhibition Flight. [MAP] It carries the colours of 609 (West Riding) Squadron as ‘PR-F’ with which it served from October 1940 to February 1941.

Junkers Ju 88R-1 w/nr 360043 ‘D5+EV’ of IV/NJG3 flew from Norway to Dyce on May 9, 1943 in a flight that has always been shrouded in mystery as it was possibly not a ‘defection’, but a ‘delivery’ by a British agent. Equipped with the FuG 202 Liechtenstein BC radar, it was subject to a series of flight tests out of Farnborough and Hartford Bridge by the RAE and the Fighter Interception Unit, including experimentation with Window. It flew in RAF markings with the serial number PJ876 and carried a ‘ringed P’ prototype marking - as illustrated [MAP]. After trials work it joined 1426 Flight at Collyweston on May 6, 1944, transferring to the Enemy Aircraft Flight (EAF) of the Central Fighter Establishment at Tangmere on May 5,1945. It was later allocated to the Air Historical Branch (AHB) for display/museum allocation. PJ876 moved to 47 MU at Sealand in March!April 1946, but had moved to the German Air Force Equipment Centre (GAFEC) at Stanmore Park by 1949 and it was doubtless from here that it made its appearance(s) at Horse Guard’s Parade. It moved to 15 MU, Wroughton, in 1956 moving on to Fulbeck and Biggin Hill. After display and refurbishment at St Athan, it moved to its current location, the Battle of Britain Hall of the RAF Museum at Hendon, in 1979.