Markings for Spitfire Mk.Vb early 1/48
W3312, S/Ldr James Rankin, No. 92 Squadron, RAF Biggin Hill, Great Britain, June–August 1941
James Rankin joined the RAF in 1935 and after training he joined No. 25 Squadron, then was transferred to the Fleet Air Arm where he flew with No. 825 Naval Air Squadron on HMS Glorious. After serving with the FAA he became an instructor with No. 5 OTU. In early 1941 he was promoted to Squadron Leader and transferred to No. 64 Squadron to gain operational experience. During his short time with this unit, he is credited with shooting down one-third of a Ju 88 and two damaged enemies. In February 1941 he took command of No. 92 East India Squadron, which was in the process of being rearmed with the new Mk.Vb Spitfires. During the summer fighting his score increased rapidly. In June 1941 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for nine kills and on June 14 he shot down Galland’s wingman, Obfw. Robert Menge of III./JG 26 (18 victories). Spitfire W3312, which was Jamie Rankin’s personal aircraft, was one of the most successful and brightly colored Spitfires in the RAF. It was decorated with the inscription EAST INDIA SQUADRON on the left side of the tank cover and the pilot’s personal emblem, which was a red lion in the crest. Under the cockpit, Rankin had symbols of the kills he had achieved. On the right side, the donation inscription “The Wiltshire Moonraker I” was displayed under the cockpit. Rankin’s Spitfire was camouflaged with a standard scheme consisting of shades of Dark Green / Dark Earth / Sky.
W3312, W/Cdr James Rankin, Biggin Hill Wing, RAF Biggin Hill, Great Britain, August-December 1941
In September 1941 Rankin became Wing Commander at Biggin Hill and in October received the Distinguished Service Order. In December 1941 Rankin completed his tour of operations and was sent to Fighter Command. He returned to operational flying in April 1942 and led the Biggin Hill Wing again until December 1942. He then served at Central Gunnery School and in August 1943 took command of No. 15 Fighter Wing. During the Normandy landings in June 1944, he was commanding officer of No. 125 Wing. Rankin scored a total of 22 kills against enemy aircraft, including five shared ones (13+1 on Spitfire W3312), three probable and two shared probable kills, 16 damaged and three shared damaged. Almost all of the kills were achieved on Spitfires Mk.Vb. The Spitfire that Rankin flew in the autumn of 1941 as Wing Commander of Biggin Hill already carried the new camouflage scheme effective from August 16. Photographs show the use of a very dark shade of Mixed Grey (probably Extra Dark Sea Grey) in place of the original Dark Earth, the lower surfaces were in the new Medium Sea Grey. Although Rankin, as Wing Commander, could have chosen his initials in place of the squadron code letters, he did not use this option and retained the original code letters QJ-J, newly repainted in the Sky shade.
W3257, F/Lt Eric S. Lock, No. 611 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, Great Britain, July-August 1941
The most successful pilot of the Battle of Britain, Eric Stanley Lock, sortied for the first time with his Spitfire W3257 on July 14, 1941. He baptized his new aircraft by fire by shooting down a Bf-109F, which was also his very last kill. Barely three weeks later, on August 3, returning from a Rhubarb mission, he attacked a German column near Pas de Calais and has been missing ever since. It’s supposed he was shot down by AA fire and crashed into the sea. Neither his Spitfire Mk.V W3257 nor Lock himself have ever been found. At the time of his disappearance his score stood at 26 kills achieved during 25 weeks of the operational deployment in course of one year out of which he spent six months in the hospitals. Spitfire Mk.Vb W3257 was camouflaged in the standard Dark Green/Dark Earth/Sky. Code letters E-FY were painted in Sky which was a standard code letters color of the Hornchurch Wing Spitfires. A serial was overpainted in the camouflage color.
W3774, P/O William V. Crawford-Compton, No. 485 Squadron, RAF Kenley, Great Britain, November 1941 – March 1942
One of the RAF’s most successful pilots was New Zealander William Vernon Crawford-Compton. He joined the RAF in 1939 as a mechanic, and was subsequently accepted for flight training, which he completed in 1940. In March 1941 he was assigned to the newly formed No. 485 Sqn. and from August 1942 served successfully as commander of B Flight in No. 611 Sqn. In late 1942 he took command of No. 64 Sqn. and led it until the end of March the following year. After a period of staff duties, he became Commander of Hornchurch Fighter Wing in mid-1943 and led it until the end of the year. After his tour of operations, he lectured for three months in the United States on RAF operations. He returned to active service as commander of No. 145 Wing, which he led in offensive operations prior to and after Operation Overlord. After the war he held senior posts in the RAF, retiring as Air Vice-Marshal at the end of 1968. He died in January 1988 at the age of 72. During his wartime career he achieved 22 kills, four probable and he also damaged a further 13 aircraft. The Spitfire W3774 was his first personal aircraft and he achieved four kills flying it. It had a drawing of a burning swastika on the left side under the cockpit and a pan with Hitler’s head above it. The left side of the tank cover was decorated with the inscription Auckland 1 “Waiuku”. On the right side under the cab was a Samson donation sign. W3774 was given a new livery effective August 16, 1941. Photographs show the use of a very dark shade of Mixed Grey (probably Extra Dark Sea Grey) in place of the original Dark Earth, the Sky band was repainted with a new shade of Medium Sea Grey on the lower surfaces.
P8537, Sgt J. Hloužek, No. 313 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, Great Britain, November 1941 – March 1942
Spitfire Mk.Vb P8537 served operationally with No. 313 Squadron from 2 November 1941 to 28 March 1942. The most frequent pilots in its cockpit were Sgt. J. Hloužek, F/L K. Vykoukal and F/S K. Foglar. The figure of Horace the Horse, which was painted on this Spitfire by Sgt. Karel Pavlík, a Pilsen native, trained letter painter and author of all drawings on Spitfires of No. 313 Squadron, was for many years a mystery, because only half of the drawing was known from photographs. It was until two uncut photographs from the archive of the mechanic F/O Ing. Karl Beinhauer emerged and helped to solve the appearance of the other half. Spitfire P8537 had been repainted in the new camouflage shades in effect from August 16, 1941. Surviving photographs document the complete change of the Spitfire’s camouflage. A very light shade of Mixed Grey was used in place of the original Dark Earth, and a band of Sky Blue was repainted with a new shade of Medium Sea Grey on the lower surfaces. The code letters RY-Z were in the Sky Blue shade, as were the propeller cone and band in front of the VOP.