Black/white striped Lancaster - 635 Sqn R.A.F. "Assembly Ship"??

[Sky Dancer]

Hi everybody,

Posting this on several forums to try to find an answer to a longtime quest of mine.

It regards a black and white striped Lancaster from 635 Sqn. Did it exist??

It's mentioned on Page 43 of "Lancaster at War 3" by Mike Garbett and Brian Goulding, published in 1984.

The paragraph in which it is mentioned is basically a lengthy photo caption regarding the use of coloured tail fins etc. for use during daylight raids to assist in squadrons getting assembled. The relevant sentence reads "And so the various groups experimented on an individual basis and tried some bizarre schemes, ranging from smoke canisters in bomb bays were you in the Canadian-manned No.6 Group, to forming up behind a No. 635 Squadron Lanc from Downham Market completely decked out in black and white stripes should you be in 8 Group".

This would seem to suggest that 635 Sqn had a Lanc marked in much the same way as the "Assembly Ships" used by the 8th. AAF for their daylight missons.

I have never been able to find any photo's, drawings etc. to illustrate this Lanc, and have no other information to suggest or confirm that it even existed. It would make a great modelling project for the 1/48th Tamiya kit!!

Can anyone out there help with info or photo's??

Regards,
Michael