Battle of Britain RAF footage?

[Phil Lloyd]

Hi all,

I have attached a frame from a piece of film reputed to have been taken of an aircraft formation during the Battle of Britain.

My guess is that it maybe RAF fighters perhaps in vics with a tail end charlie weaving behind. Judging by the naked tree, if it is BofB it would be late autumn by which time I thought these tactics had been shelved?

So could it be winter '39/ spring '40?

[RodM]

Hi Phil,

the so-called "tail end charlie" appears to be weaving BELOW the other contrails.

I guess the central issue is that unless the original slide has reliable provenance of the date taken, then the photo becomes just another historical item attributed to the very fashionable and desireable Battle of Britain period.

Cheers

Rod

[SimonE]

Originally Posted by Phil Lloyd

Hi all,

I have attached a frame from a piece of film reputed to have been taken of an aircraft formation during the Battle of Britain.

My guess is that it maybe RAF fighters perhaps in vics with a tail end charlie weaving behind. Judging by the naked tree, if it is BofB it would be late autumn by which time I thought these tactics had been shelved?

So could it be winter '39/ spring '40?

The three aircraft vic formation was progressively abandoned through the second half of 1940. However, vic formations persisted in some squadrons into 1941, particularly those with pre-war RAF pilots leading them.

Brian Cull's Spitfires Over Malta has pilot accounts that mention vic formations in 1942.