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Re: Details required on Spitfire's JL212/V and W
Hello Brian,
Thanks for the update to Czechoslovakia.
From "Spitfire International" page 98.
Spitfire Mk Vb/trop, captured by the Germans in the Middle East were[points to more than one a/c] tested by the Air Research Institute Vedecky Letecky Ustav at Prague-Letnany 1944/45. One of them was exhibited at Melnik (near Prague) together with a Russian built La-7 in 1945/46, both in Czechoslovakian colours and the Spitfire had a Lion Rampant Queue Forchee badge on the cowling. The fate of this Spitfire is unknown, possibly it was used as a ground instructional airframe by the new CSSR Air Force until scrapped in 1948.
Not to say that the above is not correct but 310 Squadron had a the Lion marking on their aircraft .
Mk.IX TE565 was the a/c exhibited in the museum coded "NN-N"?
Then Mk IX SL651 ex 313 Sqdn then "IR-1" to "V-7" sold to Israel , there is a photo of "V-7" at the Institute in Praha-Letnany, at least five a/c were used, V-7,8,9,12 and 20 are known. Serial numbers known are MJ752, SL651, TE515, TE556 and TE567, all Mk IX's.
Were there Spitfires in Czechoslovakia before the RAF Czech Squadrons 310,311 and 312 returned home ?
Alex
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