No. 40 squadron SAAF - Spitfire 1945, ITALY

[Milan Hercut]

Hello all,

I´m trying to trace the serial number of the Spitfire LF Mk. IX of No. 40 squadron SAAF coded WR-D. This Spitfire was one of those which went to No. 225 squadron after 20 October of 1945, when No 40 squadron was disbanded.
I can confirm that first letter of the serial is P and second looks most probably like V.

TIA

Milan

[Etienne]

Milan, I went through all my documentation of 40 Sqn.Spits, but the info that you are looking for unfortunately does not appear anywhere.

The nearest I got was the following;
WR -TC serial PL458
WR - RR serial PL672
Other Mk. IX's;
WR -C MA 565
WR -R MK 151
I enclose a photo of WR-D but try as I might, I could not read the serial number.

I also enclose the well known pic of the Mk.V with the same code letters and serial ER 655.

Happy hunting!

Cheers,
Etienne.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Etienne

Whatever the Mk V WR-D shows it is not ER655.
From the face of it the two last digits are 22, and the rest looks like EP622 or a number of other alternatives, but the last two digits cannot to my mind even resemble a double five.

Unfortunately Air Britain's EA100 to EZ999 booklet have nothing like this with 40 SAAF Sq , so I can't make it any better than you in the end....

Cheers
Stig

[Etienne]

Of course you're right Stig! it is EP 622....thanks.
Apologies all around .......that comes from trying to do a quick reply.

[Stig Jarlevik]

No problems Etienne

Strange how you have to use many sources to come up with an answer...

Starting up EP622 is only recorded By Air Britain with RAF 185 Sq (Malta based) and as SOC 28.4.1945.
Brent (85 years of SAAF) does not list it at all.
Morgan/Shacklady in their Spitfire finally says as follows of EP622
9 MU 18.7.42
76 MU 16.8.42
Empire Cabot (vessel) 28.8.42
Gibraltar 24.9.42
Malta 1.11.42
North Africa 1.6.43 HOS SAAF

So we can see how the jigsaw comes together. While at Malta it no doubt was flown by 185 Sq and when handed over to SAAF it went to 40 SAAF Sq (proof thanks to the photo!!)

Cheers
Stig

[Milan Hercut]

Hi Etienne,

thank you very much for your reply and photo of Mk. IX WR-D photo. Can you provide me with info about source of this photo?

wbw

Milan

[Etienne]

My pleasure Milan.
It appears in "The Spitfire in South African Air Force Service" by Steven McLean published in 2001.

Cheers,

E.