Spitfire ID Help Please

[JACK COOK]

French AF spitfire MK IX ETO 1945. Can anyone fill in the gaps????

[JohnE]

Possibly PT463 of 340 Sq.

/John E.

[PeterA]

PT467

The RAF serial re-applied by the French in their own style, leaning forward 'italic' with an open 4 and a crossed vertical continental 7.

PeterA

[Many Souffan]

It is really PT467

This MK IX of the French Air Force (FAF) belong's to the GC 1/7 Provence, (328 Sqn. for the RAF) of the 1st Tactical Air Force.

The picture is taken during the winter 44/45 (probably dec 44) in east of France

thank you.

[Bertrand H]

Hi Jack,

To change of the usual captions for this a/c misidentified in several book (page 176 of 2nd TAF published in 1970) at mid-September 1944, n°328 (GC 1/7) exchanged its Spit V to Spit IX. PT 467 replaced MH663 “C’’ at the end of October. First ops flight for this new “C” is on 17 November 1944 for a weather recco with Lieutenant Simard. Later this Spit will be the usual a/c for Lt Chavagnac and Slt Montrachy.Still in use in April 1945.

HTH

Bertrand H

[Spitfire 9]

It really is PT467;

Perhaps the key lies in that the '7' is actually crossed as in the standard European style of writing. (I have never seen this on any 'foreign' A/C before though ?)

I have a copy of this photo with a faded note pasted to the rear which reads...Certified as passed by SHAEF CENSOR FRA 200453. I assume the FRA is for the French A/F?

The main text reads; A French pilot warms up his Spitfire fighter on a snow covered field in the foothills of the Vosges mountains of Eastern France from where planes of the First Tactical Air Force are taking off for missions inside the Reich.
A crew chief seated on the wing of the British-made plane instructs the pilot into position for the take-off.
U.S. and French pilots of the First Tactical Air Force are flying in support of the Sixth Army Group, consisting of the Seventh U.S. Army and the First French Army. The Air Force, commanded by U.S. Major General Ralph Royce has been ????? firing German ammunition dumps and bombing Nazi road and rail center's in support of the Allied ground troops in Eastern France where the French Army began a new offensive January 20, 1945, on a 25 mile front from St.Amarin in the Vosgos to the Rhine northeast of Mulhouse. First Tactical Air Force Photo.

Quite a bit of useful info there !!

The usual allocations etc, are well documented elsewhere.

Mervyn

[Bertrand H]

Jack,

Did you know the words "thanks, grazzie, merci" ?

BH