Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

Hello,

Thank you all for searching and finding all these precisions.
Most interesting.
Regardind the W serial, the photo is reported as beeing that of a spitfire shot down in Belgium.
http://cgi.ebay.de/007-2x-O-Foto-abg...item1e59e0192f
As to the serial itself, if not W3108, it looks possibly like W3109 (first serial for Mk V series, if not wrong)... don't you think?

@ Larry
May be not the right place for Luftwaffe but here are the links. But if it may be of help...
http://cgi.ebay.de/045-Orig-Foto-Flu...item1e59dc58e8
http://cgi.ebay.de/043-Orig-Foto-Flu...item1e59dc58ce
http://cgi.ebay.de/044-Orig-Foto-Flu...item20aed19765

Regards,

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

Hallo all,

Yes it does look like W3108, or even N3108. However those markings are the wrong size and in the wrong position for the Air Ministry serial number.

Is it possible they are an example of the many stencils applied to Spitfires ? Marking specialists required here.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

No wonder I failed to spot the 'serial number as I was not expecting to see it under the tailplane, as Martin has pointed out! Having said that though, there are plenty of examples of irregular markings in the RAF and even painting over the serial number as in Spitfire AZ-K was not 'by the book'. Another explanation is that the 'W3109' is a makers marking, put on the aircraft at the factory before it was painted according to Air Ministry requirements. Perhaps all Spitfires had their serial painted on or within them in this way! The fire from the crash could have burnt away the top camo paint.

W3109 was a Mk Vb with 54 Sqn and was shot down on 17.09.41 on Circus 95 to Marzingarbe (on French Belgium border). The pilot Sgt RA Overson was KIA and buried at Dunkirk.

54 Sqn used the codes KL at this time but these do not show in the photo. However as a Vb this aircraft would have had cannons and it looks like one cannon may be seen in the wing leading edge (on the right hand side of the second photo).

I'm going to stick my neck out and say it is W3109

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

Lastly regarding the Whitley I think it is Z6795 of 10 OTU which was on an AS Patrol over the sea on 21.09.1942 when it ran out of fuel. It was recovered by the Germans and all the crew made POW.

Your photos from eBay fit the photo I have attached from 'The Whitley File' by Air Britain in that the aircraft is all over black and has fishing net over the front turret. Z6795 carried the code letters JL - W and although these cannot be clearly seen, their worn out appearance is the same in each photo.

So it would seem that the Whitley came down near Guernsey and once recovered was taken to another port by barge such as Brest, and no doubt the POWs went via France to captivity.

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

That's what I was trying to let you understand Larry! :-)
Hope my ebay findings have been of interest...including the Bf109-F photos?

Regards,

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

The windscreen is of the later design with integral bullet-proof panel. No Mk II or Mk I ever had this. Very few (if any) CBAF-built Mk Vs had this before the change to "C" type roundels in mid-1942. Anyway, the fuselage roundel position is as applied by Supermarines and Westlands, not CBAF.

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

Hi VoyTech,

Could it be the same aircraft? Assuming it is, we do have a better view on the windsreen!
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...m=220186202808

Regards,

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

.... more fishing net - looks a bit far from the sea this time!!! :D

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

New stories behind these photos?
http://cgi.ebay.de/Foto-Abgestuerzte...item58856f580c
http://cgi.ebay.de/Foto-Abgestuerzte...item58856f5193

Re: Which stories behind these photos?
 

The first of the new photos you have attached is a Spitfire Mk VC of 92 Sqn in the Western Desert. The Sqn had still used QJ code letters since 1940. The Sqn arrived in the Middle East in April 1942 but only got the Mk VC in August 1942 so the photo dates from then onwards.

The second photo looks like a VC aircraft from the same Sqn though its hard to read the codes. The QJ appears to be in the same place as before with the Q over the door.

Looking at the terrain I would say that this was taken in the deserts of Egypt or Libya in 1942 before the Axis retreated to Tunisia