80 Sqn Hurricanes 1941/42 photos

[Franek Grabowski]

Hello
I am looking for any photos of 80 Sqn Hurricanes at the end of 1941-beginning of 1942. Does anyone have anything?
TIA

[Håkan]

Hello Franek,

C. Shores' "Strike True - The Story of No. 80 Squadron Royal Air Force" has one image of Hurricane IIC BE360 from January 1942. Unfortunatelly I can't scan it to you since my scanner didn't survive my movement in last December but perhaps there is someone else with access to this book?

Best wishes/Håkan

[Franek Grabowski]

Hello Håkan
Mk IIC in January 1942? I thought they still had Mk Is at the time. So it seems there are no photos. How the photo is credited?
Cheers

[Chris Goss]

I have photos of wreckage/captured Hurricanes at Maleme and Athens reputed to be from 80 Sqn but guess this is too early

[Kari Lumppio]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

I have photos of wreckage/captured Hurricanes at Maleme and Athens reputed to be from 80 Sqn but guess this is too early

Hello Chris, Franek and others!

A while ago I asked about Roald Dahl and his Hurricanes in thread:
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...ight=roal+dahl

I wonder if among the photos you mention are any of Hurricane V7826 which Dahl flew and claimed with? This if for model building purposes. Actually I am most interested to know if the Hurricane had the so called "spaghetti camouflage" or not. If not then the scheme is pretty straightforward.

BTW at the ARC forum there is also posted some photos of 80 sqn Hurricanes in Greece: http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/...owtopic=101583

In Australian War Memorial there is one photo of 80 sqn Hurricanes in Palestine, but it is wrong period for Franek and not much can be gleaned out from it. Direct link to the photo (hopefully):
http://cas.awm.gov.au/TST2/cas_disp_...s_level=Public

Photo ID number 128173. caption: "PALESTINE. 1941-06. AN AIRFIELD WITH HURRICANES FROM NO. 80 SQUADRON, RAF, FROM WHICH WERE DRAWN THE AIRCRAFT TAKEN TO CYPRUS BY PILOTS OF NO. 3 SQUADRON, RAAF, TO BLOCK ANY ATTEMPT TO REINFORCE THE FRENCH SYRIAN GARRISON BY AIR."


Regards,
Kari

[Franek Grabowski]

Chris, yes, much too early. I am finishing an article about a pilot of the unit who fought in Op Crusader and I have only a single photo of him in front of an anonymous Hurribomber I. I would love to add something more than that.

[Håkan]

Hello again,

"Strike true" also includes an image of S/Ldr M.M. Stephens and pilots of 80 Sq. in front of a Hurricane fighter-bomber bombed up. Since Stephens served as CO in 80 Sq. from Jan 1941 until April 1942 it seems that it covers your timespan.

Both the image mentioned above on BE360 and this image are credited to M.M. Stephens.

Hurricane IIC BE360 seems to have served and been lost with 80 Squadron. According to my sources 80 Sq started to receive Hurricane IICs in January 1942 and exchanged them for Spitfires in April 1943.

Best wishes/Håkan

[Franek Grabowski]

Thanks! Yes, I have this as well, it is one of several taken by a propaganda unit, and I have a portrait of my pilot in front of the Hurricane. They could take a better shot of the aircraft though. Hurricane II seems to be photographed when some presentation aircraft arrived to the unit, so out of my time span. Well, another gap, at least for the time being.
Cheers