Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Dear all,

I just found this photo and I would like to share it with you.

http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/results.asp?image=10313643&wwwflag=3&imagepos=10

The caption of the photo says "26 February 1942. Four members of Finucane's Squadron wheel out the new Spitfire. It has been specially prepared for his return".

Since a long time I am looking for information about Finucane's personal planes and for me this picture is fantastic.
The code should be "LO-W" (the individual letter is barely visible but seems "W", as usually for Finucane' planes) and it carried the famous Shamrock insigna on the cowling.

Any way I have some troubles with the serial number: the last two digits seem "22", but according with the book "Spitfire the History" by E.Morgan there are not serial numbers matching with “22” (Spitfires in charge at 602 Sqn in February 1942).

Have you any idea about this incoherence?

Regards
Flavio

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Flavio,

Congratulations with the find! It's always nice to find a diamond in the rough, especially after years or searching for it.

Although the Spitfire book by Morgan and Shacklady is considered a bible, it's not a 100% correct either. So, just because they don't have it listed doesn't mean it's gosple.

Anyhow, here's to further digging! :p

Stephen

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Hi
Checking Chris Shore's Aces High, Finucane piloted the following Mk V when making his claims
AB852
AB972
BL548
AD536
BM124
He was lost in BM308
Of course he could have used others, OR the caption might even be wrong...

Cheers
Stig

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

I hope the title is correct.

Finucane left 452 RAAF Sqn on 25 January 1942 for 602 Sqn.

Pictures in the RAAF history show 452 Sqn to have either LD- or LO- serial numbers.

You might find the serial No if you have a look there.

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Just a little ,

P8722 was lost from 602 on 2/1/42 with Capt. Hertzberg kia.
BL548 from 602 crashed on 20/2/42 and SLdr. Finucane was wounded.
BM228 was lost from 602 on 25/4/42 with Sgt. Green kia.
Finucane was injured in late 41 and returned to command 602 in January of 42, so P8722 may have been his proposed aircraft but perhaps lost even before he had chance to try her out ?

Alex

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Just because it was "his" aircraft, doesn't mean that no-one else would fly it. Even if he was around.

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Dear all,

thanks for your comments; I add some notes:

Yes Alex, Finucane was wounded in late 1941 but at that time he was with 452; after his recovery, he was posted for the first time to 602 Sqn on January 20th 1942 , so unfortunately "P8722" was lost weeks before Finucane arrived to 602 Sqn.

In my opinion the caption should be correct infact we may read two
details: "new Spitfire" and "specially prepared for his return" : Finucane crash landed 6 days earlier of the date of the photo so he need a "new" aircraft, and he "returned" to command the 602 only on 10th March; the date and the text match with the facts.

Any way this does not help us to understand which was the serial number of the plane.

I will try to search between 452 Sqn. codes, but I believe this plane was in charge at 602 sqn. This is also confirmed by Stokes in his book "Paddy Finucane: Fighter Ace" were there is another photo of this very plane (detail of the shamrock); unfortunately Stokes give it the (now wrong) serial number BL548.

Hoping to find more details about this Spitfire

Regards
Flavio

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Hi Flavio,

From Men of the BoB,

"After breaking an ancle in the blackout, Finucane entered RAF hospital, Halton on November 14th and left a week later to convalesce at Torquay. He rejoined 452 then at Kenley, on January 19th 1942.
One week later Finucane took command of 602 Squadron at Redhill ( this would be around the 26th January), he was wounded on 20th February in an engagement with FW190s over the channel."
And according to "Aces High"vol 1 He flew BL548 on the 20th February 1942 when he damaged the FW190.

Also, I have recently come accross a simular photo of "W" taken from a different position but cannot find it now:( again the squadron code cannot be seen but an "LO" a/c is again in the background.

All for now

Alex

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Hi Alex,

thank you for the new details.

Please, I hope you will be able to find the photo you quote, for sure it will be very usefull to help us to solve the dubts about the serial number.

Regards

Flavio

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

You may have already discovered this but the Australian War Memorial Website contains a large number of collections that are searchable

http://www.awm.gov.au/database/collection.asp

As he spent much time with aussies he appears in quite a few images.

hope this helps
ham

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Does anyone have any color photos or artist profiles of any of Finucane's spitfires?

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Has anyone any idea of Finucane's aircraft numbers etc. during the Battle of Britain (when he was with 65 Sqn)?

G

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Resurrecting an old thread, but I was doing some googling and found it.

Dugald Cameron's book on 602 lists BL822 as having been attached to the squadron - no dates or anything (unlike the other aircraft) and Spitfire the History doesn't mention it as having a 602 connection, but it could be a candidate for the aircraft in the pic.

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

Hertzberg's Log Book has "W" and flying time 0:25 entered by someone else (for obvious reasons) for this flight on 2/1/42.

Stein

Re: Newly discovered photo of Paddy Finucane's Spitfire
 

According to Finucane's logbook, he flew BL822 only once, on 19 March ’42, for a 10 minuts cannon test; probably this test was not successful so Finucane chose a different Spitfire (BM124) as personal.

Flavio