Need information : Pilot and Hurricane night intruder photo

[canonne]

Hi,
We would like to know more about this RAF pilot :
Name, surname, unit/suadron, rank, missions, and the exact type of his a/c etc ...

Some writings just above the cockpit ...

Every detail would be greatly appreciated
Regards
Phil.

[Larry]

Firstly the Hurricane looks to be all black, which makes me think of 1 Sqn with JX codes - like the 1/72 scale model on my shelf!

It looks like 'The Best of Jack' to Sam and Family - Bob, written on the photo and I was thinking he was referring to the name of his Hurricane?

BTW the pilot could be S/Ldr. R C Wilkinson, OBE DFM & Bar who was CO of 1 Sqn flying Mk IIs on Intruder.

[Revi16]

The best of luck to Sam and Family -Bob-

Possibly Lanore, Lanora, Lenora, on side of aircraft?

Hurricane Mk IIC (Hurricane Mk IIA Series 2)Hurricane Mk IIA Series 1 equipped with new and slightly longer propeller spinner and fully replaced the machine-gun armament with four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk II cannons, two per side. Hurricane IIA Series 2 became the Mk IIC in June 1941, using a slightly modified wing. The new wings also included a hardpoint for a 500 lb (230 kg) or 250 lb (110 kg) bomb, and later in 1941, fuel tanks. By then performance was inferior to the latest German fighters, and the Hurricane changed to the ground-attack role, sometimes referred to as the Hurribomber. The mark also served as a night fighter and intruder.

Hurricane Mk XII Canadian-built variant. Single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber. Powered by a 1,300 hp (969 kW) Packard Merlin 29. Initially armed with 12 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns, but this was later changed to four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon.

[Larry]

S/Ldr. R C Wilkinson- sorry his first name was Royce so ignore.

[Graham Boak]

Revi 16: Can you say where your account of the development/designation changes comes from? It differs from what I've seen elsewhere.

The longer spinner appears on late Mk.Is (visible on photographs) and is on all Mk.IIs and later.
The usually sequence is Mk.IIA ser 1, Mk.IIA ser 2, Mk.IIB, Mk.IIB with revised wing for bomb carriage but no change in designation (although sometimes referred to as Mk.IIE), Mk.IIC, Mk.IID, Mk.IIE design study only leading to Mk.IV.

There is some disagreement in sources about the differences between Mk.IIA ser 1 and ser 2, but not suggesting 4xcannon armament.

1 Sq was to the only night-intruder unit with all black Hurricanes. From fallible memory, 3 and 263 are alternative possibilities.

[Revi16]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

Revi 16: Can you say where your account of the development/designation changes comes from? It differs from what I've seen elsewhere.

It was just a quick screen grab from Wiki.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Larry

It looks like 'The Best of Jack' to Sam and Family - Bob, written on the photo and I was thinking he was referring to the name of his Hurricane?

I think it's probably "The Best of Luck" (with an ornate "L"). The name under the aircraft's cockpit seems to me to be "Laura."

[canonne]

Bonsoir Gentlemen !

Thank you ! Thank you so much for your so important efforts to identify this photo : aircraft, pilot, unit ... Each idea, each information is very welcome !
Merci, merci beaucoup for helping me. I send you an another photo :
giving the cockpit area ... givng (?) a name (?) and a cartoon (?) ...
Very difficult.
Best regards guys !
Phil.

[Brian]

Hi guys

I'm sure the pilot was an American on 3 Squadron. I have details somewhere but it may take some time to find them.

Cheers
Brian

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

l believe the pilot concerned is: Robert S Davidson RCAF (US), of No.32 Sqn, RAF.

NB. Davidson, despite the insignia, was not an Eagle squadron member. Amongst others, he flew a Hurricane IIC coded, GZ-X.

Col.