'Bob' Braham's Beaufighter Mk VI

[Hajnel]

Hi

I’m new at this forum and i see that you have got great knowledge. Maby you can help me with my searches.
I have searched photography or paint scheme of aircraft: Beaufighter Mk VI of G.C.J.R.D. ‘Bob’ Braham DSO, DFC, AFC, CD for many years. I need paint scheme or photography of this aircraft from 141 squadron. I know serial number: X8147 and squadron’s code: TH-?.
I have only this informations about aircraft. Braham shot two aces at this plane: Georg Kraft (15 victories) and Heinz Vinke(53 victories).
This is very important to me because I ‘m going to make a model of this plane.
I’m sory if I commit a mistake. My english is not very good.

Greetings.

Hajnel
Poland

[Oxby R]

Hello Hajnel - Squadron code for 141 was TW, not TH. You might want to order Modeller's datafile #6 by Richard A Franks - SAM Publications ISBN 0-9533465-5-2. Although it does not feature Bob Braham's X8147, it does amount to a pretty comprehensive guide to modelling the Bristol Beaufighter. Lots of colour piccys of all that essential detail anyway ! I need to confirm for certain, but I am inclined to think 141's Beaus were overall night black, with standard national markings, codes and serials in dull red. This was common to nightfighters of 600, 307, 89, and 29 Squadrons to list just a few. Sorry can't be more help.

[Oxby R]

Hajnel - check out 141 Squadron's paint schemes on http://www.rafweb.org/SqnMark141-144.htm You will see two nightfighter paint schemes mentioned - overall night black, and later on in the war - camoflaged upper surfaces. June 1941-June 1943 : overall night black. From May 1943 – Jan 1944 : nightblack undersides, camoflaged upper surfaces. Dull red serials and sqdn codes retained, and appeared on both versions. Braham operated using X8147 between 14th June – 30th Sept 1943. So, the choice is yours. My hunch is X8147 was overall night black version. Regret can't be 100% certain about this in the absence of a photo, or better information from elsewhere !

[Hajnel]

Originally Posted by Oxby R

Hajnel - check out 141 Squadron's paint schemes on http://www.rafweb.org/SqnMark141-144.htm You will see two nightfighter paint schemes mentioned - overall night black, and later on in the war - camoflaged upper surfaces. June 1941-June 1943 : overall night black. From May 1943 – Jan 1944 : nightblack undersides, camoflaged upper surfaces. Dull red serials and sqdn codes retained, and appeared on both versions. Braham operated using X8147 between 14th June – 30th Sept 1943. So, the choice is yours. My hunch is X8147 was overall night black version. Regret can't be 100% certain about this in the absence of a photo, or better information from elsewhere !

Thank you for informations but I'm looking paint scheme of Braham's aircraft which was shot 2 german aces (I'm wrote their names) at night 17/18 August 1943(The Peenemunde Raid) .I don't know code letter (TW-?).
This is very important to me becouse I make models of aircraft of aces.
Do you wonder that are few informations about aircraft of THE BEST BRITISH NIGHT ACE?

[Oxby R]

Hajnel - Hmmmm. Can't agree entirely with your assessment of Bob Braham as THE greatest British nightfighter Ace. I'm not keen on the term 'Ace' anyway. It conveys something 'elitist' - which existed amongst the RAF of the time, but maybe it shouldn't have. 'Ace' somehow undermines/disregards/forgets (?) the guts of the young guys who often only had a few hours under their belts 'on type', and yet they still went airborne - sometimes against a much stronger and more experienced enemy. Many didn't come back. Strangely, few of them - despite their sacrifice - are remembered individually nearly so well as we like to celebrate names like Johnnie Johnson, or Adolf Galland. Also, there were quite a few guys who survived - and were remarkably successful, but still they didn't make 'front page' news. So, clearly not everyone can be a war hero. Yet they all flew in the full knowledge they were unlikely to survive the conflict. (I thank God, today we don't have to fight like they did. They are all heroes to me) Please, do not misunderstand what I'm saying - yes, there's no denying Bob Braham was a successful pilot - but you should understand he was just one of many - we should also not forget, British nightfighters worked as part of a team. ALL British nightfighter pilots - including the likes of 'Cat's Eyes' John Cunningham, Branse Burbridge, Bob Braham (etc) - and not forgetting less well-known pilots such as Peter Green (and others) were all reliant to a far greater extent on the skills of the unsung heroes of the team i.e. their radar operators to locate the enemy in the vastness of a night sky, than has been recognised to date. How can I be so certain of this ? Well, my father was a nightfighter navigator. He was moderately successful (22 confirmed e/a destroyed) but, he never really received much recognition, not that he sought it anyway. Let's just say, he would have received much more public attention had he been a pilot. This ain't really sour grapes (!), I am simply trying to underline the fact that NONE of the above mentioned nightfighter pilots - no matter how good they were - would ever have been able to locate, leave alone destroy ANY of the enemy without the skilled interpretation and direction of the nav/rad. Finally, we always forget the vital role played by GCI (Ground Control Interception) radar operators who would have been responsible for detecting the enemy on their longer range radar, before relaying a series of vectors directing the British aircraft into an approximate position from where an attack might be made. Without this information, the nightfighter would have been aimlessly stooging about the night sky looking for a needle in a pitch-black haystack - but not really knowing where to look. Once the 'bogey' (i.e. the enemy intruder aircraft) was detected on the airborne radar, (known as 'MK IV AI' - meaning aerial interception) the nav/rad could then call 'contact' to his pilot - and take over the stealthy, and careful approach - firstly to positively identify the aircraft as either friend or foe - before delivering a calculated, lethal stab in the darkness. Often this was such a devastating blow, the enemy aircraft would literally disintegrate in the air. Much less a case of nightfighting - much more a 'legitimate murder in the dark !!' - that's how father described it to me anyway.

Personally, I would be remembering a less well-known hero. But, each to their own. I wish you luck, and hope you find more accurate details of Bob Braham's a/c. Like all of those who flew for their countries, whether Allied or Axis - they were all brave men. Best regards, RO.

[Graham Boak]

The second scheme described is not that of night fighters as such, but of night intruders operating over enemy territory. Night fighters operating over the UK lacked the black bellies on the camouflage scheme of Medium Sea Grey overall with Dark Green disruptive pattern on the upper surfaces. However, I suggest that Braham's aircraft is likely to be have been in the intruder scheme at this stage.

Night fighters got less publicity primarily because they operated at night - a fairly obvious comment but think about it in terms of photographic opportunities. Also, the aircraft carried equipment that was regarded as secret, so photographs of them would have been discouraged, even more so than on a normal unit. As perhaps a third point, the stalking approach of a night fighter crew was perhaps viewed as less exciting than the "knights in the sky" approach taken to day-fighter combat.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Hello to all! I am particularly interested in Night Fighting on both sides, so I hope to be able to help.
I do have the book "Scramble" wrote by JRD Bob Braham. The aircraft depicted here is a Beaufighter Mk VI - early version - with the engine nacelles surrounded by a RED disc ( Do you know the brownish discs that the Lysanders had, it is like the same but in RED ). Well, I did not know the serial number until now, but the code letters are RD * B.
The roundels around the fuselage are of the First type: small arc in yellow, blue, white and finally red in the middle. On the Vertical fin you do have the traditional ( 1941 ) Red white and blue decal ( see the Heavy bombers of this time ). There is a photograph of a late version of his Beaufighter with the solid nose different ( maybe a MarkVII radar ? ) taken by the end of 1942. It is of very poor quality but I GUESS I can see a ? L * X. The serial number is indiscernible although.
Well, the son of W/C Oxby put it correctly: there will be less night victories if there were not good radar-operators like his FATHER, who is ranked the most successful one in RAF services!
May I ask you Robert Oxby, did you ever thought of writing a book about your father? Did he passed away? I do have a 1998 USAF American Fighter Aces Association Journal in which he appears on a Night Fighting Veterans Meeting alongside former RCAF and USAAF P-61 pilots. I do believe that a great number of people would welcome a book about your father´s side of History. If he is still alive tell him that a lot of people did not forget what they have done for us. I actually had the honor to interview some of those unknown heroes who flew the Mosquito in action. Their histories will be on a book I am editing soon, men like Lewis Brandon and all.
Cheers for all!

[Oxby R]

Mr Baumgartner - thanks for your kind words re my old man. I will certainly pass your regards to him. He'll be pleased to hear his efforts have not been forgotten after all this time... I think he always felt Nav/Rads were pretty much eclipsed by the nightfighter pilots who (naturally enough perhaps) tended to be the recipient of most of the 'glory/honours'. (not certain if that's how we should describe the destruction of another aircraft - with several young men inside the fuselage. Dad likened nightfighting to 'legitimate murder', - as many of their opponents never stood a chance of escape. Sobering thought, eh ? ) No indeed, Oxby senior has not passed away (just yet) - he is still amongst us - alive and kicking, and living in chilly Toronto, Canada these days. Not that the cold weather worries him much - he's a tough old bird. Even aged 86, he has lost none of his sense of humor, nor his ability to drink his son under the table (I'm not kidding, either) Of course, I'm very proud of him. Oh, by the way, about my name - the 'R' is for Richard (not Robert !) and you might be interested to hear, there is a book on the way - it's title will be 'Nightfighter Navigator' (although Dad prefers 'Back Seat Driver' (God awful title - aaargh). No doubt our argument will rage on, and on - until the publisher settles it once and for all !! About that Beaufighter you mentioned - can you detect the paint job ? All black ?? In 1942, I would imagine Bob Braham to be flying something painted up in similar fashion to the old man's, and Cunningham's - favorite for nightfighters then was 'night black' as I mentioned above. (but I'm happy to concede if I'm wrong fellas !!) Also, do you see a harpoon shaped, twin-pronged aerial on the nose, and maybe two more 'receiver aerials' on each of the wings in that photo of yours ? If so, it's a Mark IV AI/radar set, not a Mark VII (really not a very useful piece of kit - the best was the US developed SCR720/MkX - really very impressive kit, way ahead of it's time - and used in the Mosquito MkXXX nightfighter, amongst others). The aerial details may well be absent, or else 'censored out' from your photo. As Graham Boak rightly says (in his response above) - all AI equipment was very 'hush, hush' at the time. Best regards Adriano, RO.

ps Do please, let me know when your book comes out. It sounds interesting. You can always contact me via a message on this forum, or via e-mail richard.oxby@btinternet.com Cheers.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Hi Richard! Kind words yours. Glad to hear that the old eagle is still alive and happy to know about the forthcoming book. I and a great number of admirers will be waiting to read it...86 and still strong! Mamma mia! It is amazing and yes, you must be very proud of him. Our generation will not achieve 1/4 of what they did, not only on phisical aspects...I do remember Lewis Brandon, also a former RAF night-fighter navigator, who was still strong and fit at 90! I met here in Brazil Major Martin Drewes, former Luftwaffe night-fighter pilot who will be 89 this year! Still travelling a lot, strong, good memories, etc...
Well, let´s return to Beaus. You do have reason: The first Beaufighter, this one painted on the cover of the book "Scramble" does have "the harpoon" and the aerials under the wings. He is painted in BLACK, with RED disks around the engines. Codes RD * B also in RED.
The second Beau ( pictured in flight, inside the book ), is painted in GRAY with a MEDIUM GREEN and do possess a solid nose - it is much like a Mk XIX Mosquito or Beau Mk X nose. I do guess ( I am not so good on Beaus ) it is an early Mark VII or VIII radar. Or, perhaps you are right a SCR720. I do not remember when they became operational with the RAF, do you? The photograph is of very poor quality but the radar is all BLACK and the rest of the aircraft GRAY. The codes probably yellow or brown. It seems so...and there are no aerials on the wings. I guess it must be circa the end of 1942. They say only: Braham´s Beaufighter in flight, 1942....
The book on your father´s achievements, deeds and hard times ( we all forgot the hard times, losses, grieves and suffering of that time ) will be must welcomed. As far as I know, there are only 3 books of memories writen by former RAF Night-Fighter Navigators:
1- Lewis Brandon, DSO, DFC*
2- W.C Rawsley, DSO, DFC*
3- Michael Allen, DFC**
It seems however that more will be coming soon by F/L Dennis Gosling, DFC a friend of mine who flew on Malta and UK.
Please inform us and the community when the book of your father will be available for purchasing, ok? I will be very pleased to acquire one and certainly will enjoy it fully, to the last words!
May you have a nice day/night and thank you again for your kind words and comments.
Sincerely and friendly yours

Adriano

PS: We will keep in touch, you must be sure!

[PeterVerney]

I have followed this thread with great interest. I was trained, after the war luckily for me, as a nav/rad on AI Mk10. I served 18 months on the Mosquito NF36, which was a tidied up NF30 with later Merlin engines, followed by some 4 years on the Meteor series of night fighters. We were taught to call "Murder,murder" as the call that we had completed an interception, having laid the gunsight on the target.

I have the 3 books listed above and await the publication of the book with great interest. I have the greatest regard for the people who did that job for real -- the hardships and difficulties are hard to imagine even for me. Lewis Brandon was i/c the radar training section of the OCU at Leeming when I was there, and I have a copy of his book which he kindly signed for me.