KITS 01/2023

BM211, F/Lt John D. Mitchner, No. 402 Squadron RCAF, RAF Merston, United Kingdom, September–November 1943

John Mitchener was born in Saskatoon, Canada in 1914

and before he joined RCAF in October 1940 he had worked

for three years as a bookseller. In June 1941 he finished

his basic pilot training and after that, in the middle of

August, he was transferred to Britain. In the beginning

of September, he was assigned to No. 263 Squadron equipped with Whirlwinds where he flew until June 1942. After

his brief instructor’s stunt at No. 55 OTU in July he was

assigned to No. 247 Squadron and next month to No. 116

Squadron. In November he was transferred to No. 402

Squadron where, in the beginning of 1943, he scored his

first victory. In October he was decorated with DFC and

in February 1944 he completed his tour of duty. After his

return to Canada, he served at Tealing and in August 1944

returned to Europe where he was attached to No. 421

Squadron as a flight leader. In the end of September, he

was transferred to No. 416 Squadron and in November he

assumed command of the whole unit. In 1946 he returned

to Canada and continued his service with RCAF. In 1953

he became commander of Sylvestre and Lac St. Debis air

bases and in 1960 he retired due to the health issues. He

passed away on December 8, 1964. During his wartime ca-

reer John Davidson Mitchner scored 11 confirmed kills and

three probables. He also damaged three enemy aircraft.

At No. 402 Squadron John Mitchner regularly flew Spitfire

LF Mk. Vb BM211 coded AE-J in the fall of 1943. On the fuselage starboard side, the aircraft carried his personal

nose art of sunbathing Miss Jane, a character from the

Daily Mirror magazine. This Spitfire featured the newer

exhausts introduced as the standard with Mk.IX version.

Majority of the No. 402 Squadron Spitfires Mk.Vb were

equipped with these exhausts since they helped improve

the aircraft performance.

BL594, W/Cdr Alexandr Gabszewicz, No. 2 Polish Wing, RAF Northolt, United Kingdom, February–May 1943

BL594 was delivered to No. 242 Squadron in April 1942 but in

May it was damaged in an accident, consequently repaired,

and delivered to No. 303 (Polish) Squadron, at that time operating out of the Kirton-in-Lindsey airfield.

It was coded RF-G and assigned to F/O Horbaczewski as his

personal mount. In the beginning of February 1943 No. 303

Squadron was transferred to Heston but BL594 was left at

Kirton-in-Lindsey airfield assigned to No. 2 Polish Wing commander Alexandr Gabszewicz as his personal mount. His new

Spitfire was re-painted to No. 302 (Polish) Squadron standards including the unit insignia. Gabszewicz had his personal

score, seven and half black crosses, painted on the drop tank

port side including the name “Smarkata” (which refers to the

very young age of his fiancée, Elizabeth Helen Bullimore). In

the beginning of June, No. 302 (Polish) Squadron was transferred to No. 1 Polish Wing in Heston and BL594 was left with

No. 308 (Polish) Squadron. It was rebuilt to LF Mk.Vb standard

and in January 1944 assigned to No. 234 Squadron. On May

9, 1944, BL594 was shot down by flak near Berck-sur-Mer.

Its pilot, F/O D. N. Greenhalghem, bailed out however did not

survive.

BL384, F/Lt John A. A. Gibson, No. 457 Squadron RAAF, RAF Andreas, United Kingdom, December 1941

On December 11, 1941, Spitfire BL351 was assigned to the

Australian No. 457 Squadron. Initially P/O Ken James was

frequently at its controls. Later this pilot was credited

with 2.5 kills. In February 1942, BL351 was assigned to

January 2023

F/Lt John Gibson, a New Zealander who in 1940 claimed

11.5 kills while flying Hurricanes with No. 501 Squadron.

Gibson had his personal marking, Donald Duck, painted on

his new Spitfire, including all his confirmed aerial victo-

ries, 13.5 of them at that time. In March 1942, BL351 was

transferred to No. 452 Squadron and ultimately destroyed

in a ground collision on May 8 of the same year.

INFO Eduard

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