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W3257, F/Lt Eric S. Lock, No. 611 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch,
Great Britain, July-August 1941
W3774, P/O William V. Crawford-Compton, No. 485 Squadron, RAF Kenley,
Great Britain, November 1941 – March 1942
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.
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.
KITS 02/2024
INFO Eduard
55
February 2024