3 Squadron Tempests 1944

[Brian]

Hi guys

I'm ever amazed by the quality of the gen so many have tucked away in their notebooks, so perhaps someone is able to provide individual aircraft letters for the following 3 Squadron Tempests, please:

JN705 JN735 JN738 JN739 JN745 JN748 JN751 JN753 JN755 JN759 JN761 JN768 JN769 JN793 JN796 JN807 JN812 JN815 JN817 JN818 JN865 JN868 EJ540 EJ582

Fingers crossed

Thanks
Brian

[Franek Grabowski]

Chris Thomas is the man!

[Chris Thomas]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Franek! Brian, first a health warning. If you are using serials from 3 Sqn's ORB be very careful; it is perhaps the worst in this respect that I have come across. Frequently serials are repeated long after an aircraft has been written off etc.

The codes below come from a number of sources - film, photos, spotter report and by comparison between pilots' logs (code) and ORB (serial). In view of my earlier remark you can see that the latter source is not without difficulty.

So, to your list. First, JN705 is not a Tempest serial and JN751 was not a 3 Squadron aircraft - it was of course Wg Cdr Beamont's famous 'R-B' - although no doubt used by 3 Sqn on occasions.

The following serial code matches are from reliable sources or from log/ORB with 2 or more matches and no conflicting information.

JN739/W; 745/T; 761/U; 768/F; 769/G; 796/A; 807/Y; 812/M
EJ540/P; 582/T

and these are single match only (dodgy but might tie in with any other info you have)
JN735/X; 755/D; 793/N; 865/E

These are all codes from the 'Diver period' which I assume is what you are interested in. Some of these aircraft had later code changes.

Anyone out there got 3 Sqn pilots logs or copies thereof?

Chris

[Brian]

Terrific stuff, Chris, many thanks.

Whilst JN751 was, as you say, Beamont's RB, did he also fly EJ525 marked as RB at some stage? Or do you have a 3 Squadron code for 525?

Also, what do you know about the Monica-equipped EJ535 that flew with FIU? Was this the only Tempest so fitted, or did it equip other Tempests once it was found to be successful?

Cheers
Brian

[Hans Nauta]

Hello Brian and Chris,

I don't want to disturb your thread Brian, but maybe Chris is able to check two other serials for the matching radio letters: JN822 and EJ557 which were involved in shooting up an ammunition train in Holland on 12th September 1944.

Thanks in advance,
Hans Nauta

P.S. According to 2TAF page 330 JN817 would have carried H als radio letter.

[Chris Thomas]

Hello Brian and Hans
Regret I have no record of EJ525's code letters - nor reason to believe it was another R-B.

I have not come across reference to any other Monica-equipped Tempests other than EJ535. It went from 20 MU to the Telecommunications Research Establishment on or about 29 June 44 and then on to FIU (not recorded on the Form 78. It was issued to 486 Sqn, presumably without Monica, on 8 September 44, becoming SA-L and was shot down by flak on 7 October 44.

Hans, I am sorry to say I have no information at all on JN822's codes. Circumstantial evidence suggests EJ557 was JF-Z. F/L Van Lierde (top V-1 scorer by day) flew JF-Z JN862 until 4 August 44 when its undercarriage collapsed on landing. EJ557 arrived with 3 Sqn the next day and is recorded in the ORB being flown by Van Lierde until he was posted to command 164 Sqn later in the month. After repair JN862 returned to 3 sqn but was coded JF-Q, suggesting something else had been given its 'Z' - more than likely EJ557 I would think.

Yes JN817 was JF-H, 'Spike' Umbers' aircraft but I can only prove it was that at Volkel when it was returned to the squadron after repair by Hawker. Brian, I do not have the ORB to hand but if Umbers flew JN817 regularly during the anti-Diver campaign it is likely it was 'H' then too.

Chris

[Franek Grabowski]

Chris, whom would you choose instead?

[Hans Nauta]

Dear Chris,

Thanks for your effort and prompt reply!

Best regards,
Hans Nauta

[BIGVERN1966]

Originally Posted by Chris Thomas

Yes JN817 was JF-H, 'Spike' Umbers' aircraft but I can only prove it was that at Volkel when it was returned to the squadron after repair by Hawker. Brian, I do not have the ORB to hand but if Umbers flew JN817 regularly during the anti-Diver campaign it is likely it was 'H' then too.

Chris

JN817 was at Matlask for the week to ten days that 3 Sqn where there before doing the jump across the North Sea on 28 Sep 44 when the squadron joined 2TAF (flown by 'Spike' Umbers on the day) and if it was not H then I will be not a happy man.

[Tom Semenza]

According to Chris Shores "Aces High, Vol. 2," JN817 was used by Beamont to down a V-1 on 19 June 44 and was coded "T" at the time. This Tempest was also used to down V-1s in June & July by Umbers, Moore, Rose and Slade-Betts, however no code is given when flown by these pilots. Therefore it is possible that JN817 was coded JF-T innitially and then recoded JF-H.

Also, Chris, in your posting you attribute the code "Y" to JN807. However in your excellent Osprey book on Typhoon and Tempest aces, there is a photo on page 54 showing P/O Whitman exiting JF-X which is stated to be JN807.

Regards,
Tom