Spitfire I "B" down on beach at Dunkirk @6/40

[Larry Hickey]

I recently acquired a printed photo of a what I think is a Spitfire I that force-landed on a beach at Dunkirk, according to the caption on the back. The cockpit section back to the cocarde is burned out, but the a/c letter "B" is very clear. Unfortunately, the quality does not permit indentification of the serial number. Can anyone identify this a/c, including unit, pilot and crash date?

Thanks

[Franek Grabowski]

Yes, I think so. If nobody can help you here, drop me a preview scan on e-mail and I ask a friend. I suppose it is a certain well photographed aircraft of I think a famous pilot.

[Andy Mac]

Larry, this one is on ebay, is it the same or from a different angle ? I wonder if it belongs to 92 squadron ?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FOTO-abgeschos...QQcmdZViewItem

Andy.

[Larry Hickey]

Andy Mac,

The "new" photo in your reference on eBay is the same image that I recently acquired, which is actually a printed version, rather than an actual photo print. Not exactly what I expected. It seems that the serial number should be visible, but it isn't. I can't determine if it is 92 Squadron or some other one. I'm still looking for info on this one.

Thanks,

[Alex Smart]

Hello,


Well at first glance, 65 Sqdn's YT-O, But NO.
The burn marks are different.

So, Why do you think it may be a 92 Sqdn a/c ?

If it is, then it is one of only a few lost by them in this period.

March 5th - N3291 - engine trouble, crashed Edenbridge, Kent.

May 23rd - N3290 - Gillies - S/D by Me110 as was Bushell
May 23rd - N3194 - Bushell - reported to be "QJ-Z"
May 23rd - N3167 - Green - wounded, a/c returned to service
May 23rd - P9370 - Learmond - Flamer, pilot killed
May 24rd - P9374 -Casenove - ex "GR-J"

July 26th - N3167 - landing acc, Pembrey UK.
July 27th/28th - N3287 - Wade - Bailed - Night Patrol UK

Alex

[Larry Hickey]

Thank you Franek, Andy and Alex,

This a/c is definitely not YT-O. It is also not Bushell's a'c, which I can confirm was QJ-Z. This could be Gillies a/c from 92 SQ, but the sizing on the "B" is somewhat different from the "Z" on Bushell's a/c, so it probably isn't a Spitfire of 92 SQ. Which leads us back to whose is it?

Larry

[Pete Burges]

A stab in the dark, but might it be N3180, Alan Deere's plane shot down on 28th (?) May - assuming this was one of his KL-B's?

Pete Burges