Markings for Spitfire Mk.IXc late version 1/48
Spitfire LF Mk.IXc, W/O Henryk Dygala, No. 302 (Polish) Sqn., ALG G10 Plumetot, France, August 1944
The No. 302 (Polish) Squadron was one of the units that participated in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The D-Day Invasion Stripes painted on the bottom of the fuselage and wings indicated it as well. This aircraft was equipped with wing racks for 250Ib bombs. The pointed rudder was freshly painted and so the colors appeared darker than on the rest of the aircraft. Nose art paintings were not common within the RAF, so this one, the girl sitting on the bomb, is one of exceptions. The Polish stencil right of the cockpit door “Wycierac obuwie” means “Wipe your shoes”.
Spitfire HF Mk.IXc, F/Lt Otto Smik, No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Sqn., RAF North Weald, United Kingdom, August 1944
This Spitfire was flown by F/Lt Otto Smik, the CO of B Flight of No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron. On the cockpit door 8.5 confirmed aircraft plus three V-1 kill marks were painted as his personal score of that time. Smik was flying this Spitfire during July and August on strafing missions over occupied Europe. He was shot down by AA fire during an attack on Gilze-Rijen Air Base but survived and with the help of the Dutch resistance, he returned to Great Britain. Smik met his fate on November 28, 1944, when he was killed during attack on the Zwolle railway station. The camouflage and marking of this Spitfire were typical for No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Sqn. with the unit badge painted on both sides of the cowling. Available photos do not reveal the type of the rudder. The MJ296 could have had either the rounded or pointed type.
Spitfire LF Mk.IXc, S/Lt. Pierre Clostermann, No. 602 Sqn., Longues-sur-Mer, France, July 1944
Pierre Clostermann, a famous French fighter ace, became known worldwide thanks to his book “Le Grand Cirque” (The Big Show) as well. One of the aircraft he was flying during the war was Spitfire MJ586. Clostermann’s score of seven confirmed, three probable and seven damaged enemy aircraft was portrayed below windshield. French sources credit Clostermann with 20 kills, but it has been a topic of debate for many years. The post war French figures are inconsistent with those of wartime documentation in British archives due to different methodology of these two Air Forces. At the end of WWII, Clostermann flew Tempests with No. 3 Squadron RAF. Note the squadron badge on both sides of the engine cowling.
Spitfire LF Mk.lXc, F/O Desmond Ibbotson, No. 601 Sqn., Italy, Summer 1944
MJ250 was flown by No. 601 “County of London” Squadron from July 1944. The unit was operating from the airfields at Perugia, Loreto and Fano at that time. The aircraft was used primarily for dive-bombing operations. MJ250 survived the war but was scrapped shortly afterward. The MJ250 was regularly flown by F/O Desmond Ibbotson, DFC & Bar who is credited with 11 confirmed and four probable kills plus five damaged aircraft. He died on November 19, 1944 at the controls of Spitfire MH614. The camouflage colors of MJ250 were removed except for the upper engine and fuel tank cowling. These parts seem to be taken from another aircraft which retained the camouflage colors. Note the unit badge on the fin tip.
Spitfire LF Mk.lXc, P/O Jerry Billing, No. 401 Sqn., RAF Tangmere, United Kingdom, June 1944
Jerry Billing was one of many Canadians serving with RAF. He volunteered in October 1942 to help the Malta defense. After joining No. 185 Squadron, he fought over the island until March 1943, when he was downed by a Bf 109. Billing was transferred to No. 401 Squadron in 1944. He downed a Ju 88 bomber and damaged two Fw 190s on June 7, 1944, the second day of the invasion of Normandy. On July 1, 1944, his Spitfire ML135 was hit by AA fire and Billing belly-landed in no-man’s land in France. He managed to get back to the UK with the help of a French family. After WWII, Jerry Billing re-enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and became an instructor. In 1951 he joined the Blue Devils, a Canadian aerobatics team flying Vampire jets. Billing left the RCAF in 1964, becoming DeHavilland test pilot.
Spitfire LF Mk.lXc, P/O Jerry Billing, No. 401 Sqn., France, July 1944
Jerry Billing was shot down at the controls of ML135 on July 1, 1944 and belly-landed seven miles south of Carentan, France. The D-Day stripes were left on the undersides only and the female name “Dorothy” appeared under the windscreen.