Color footage in Italy

[John Beaman]

May have been seen before but beautiful color footage somewhere in Italy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i2iAti23I0

[Graham Boak]

DS is the personal code of Wing Cdr Duncan Smith, father(?) of the current prominent Tory politician.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Graham Boak

Wing Cdr Duncan Smith, father(?) of the current prominent Tory politician.

... and author of the memoir "Spitfire Into Battle." At least one of the family was good at his job!

[SMF144]

Wow. Nice stuff. Thanks for sharing John.

[Tom Semenza]

Thanks for posting that link, John. Beautiful color!

As Graham pointed out, 'DS' was the mount of Duncan-Smith. At the time he was a Group Capt. and CO of 324 Wing. I believe that's him with the sunglasses smoking a cigarette while in conversation with the USAAF guys. Can't see the serial number on the film but one of his Mk. IXs was MH884.

The other Spitfires are from 154 Sqn. which was based on Corsica from April to August 1944 before moving to southern France. On the film I could make out the following code-serial combinations:

HT-E ??713 (perhaps MK)
HT-G ??762 (perhaps MA)
HT-P MK152
HT-V ??629 (probably MK)
HT-W MJ730

Does anyone know the unit to which the P-51s belonged? They have a two letter code on their fuselages but no other markings other than the typical Med red spinner and yellow wing bands. Presumably they are with the 12th AF, possibly F-6Bs of the 111th TRS.

Cheers,
Tom

[John Beaman]

Tom, I was told by my source, Sam Sox that they were the 111th.

[Tom Semenza]

Thanks, John. I was unfamiliar with the markings that unit used.

[Gianandrea Bussi]

I think that it had been shot in Corsica, not in Italy. The shape of the hangars seems different from that one of the italian hangars. I don't recognize the field (with those mountain so close to the see) as italian.

Gianandrea

[John Beaman]

Well, if anyone knows where 154 Sq. and 111th Rec served that might help.

[udf_00]

MJ 730 : May 9, 1944, 154 Squadron, RAF - Poretta, Corsica - coded HT-W
http://109lair.hobbyvista.com/DETAIL...mj730/mkix.htm
Filmed by William Wyler & John Sturges.