Strana 43
P7966, W/Cdr Douglas R. S. Bader, CO of Tangmere Wing, RAF Tangmere,
United Kingdom, March - July 1941
P7619, S/Ldr Brian J. E. Lane, CO of No. 19 Squadron, RAF Duxford/RAF Fowlmere,
United Kingdom, January-June 1941
The Spitfire Mk.IIa serial number P7966
with the Manxman donation inscription was
the first Spitfire to bear Bader’s initials as
a fuselage code. Bader took advantage of his
privilege when he was appointed commander
of the Tangmere Wing in March 1941 using the
initials D
-
B on the fuselage, plus the Wing
Commander’s pennant under the windshield.
His personal call sign was Dogsbody. After
No. 145 Squadron commanded by Bader’s friend,
S/Ldr Stan Turner, joined the Tangmere Wing in
May 1941, a cartoon of Hitler kicked by a boot was
painted on the left side of the engine cowling
on both commanders’ personal Spitfires as
a reminder of the emblem used by the Hurricanes
of No. 242 Squadron, in which Bader and Turner
had flown during the Battle of Britain. Bader’s
Spitfire had metal ailerons and carried the
A camouflage pattern, but with a non-standard
layout of camouflage fields behind the fuselage
cockpit. The rudder and both elevator surfaces
used in the assembly of the aircraft were most
likely from another Spitfire which carried the
B camouflage pattern. Bader shot down
10 aircraft with P7966, probably shot down four
others and damaged seven. On September 9,
1941, during a dogfight with German fighters
over Saint Omer, he was accidentally shot down
by his wingman. He lost one of his prostheses
in the emergency abandonment of his Spitfire
Mk.Va W3819, was captured and spent the rest
of the war at Colditz Castle, where he was
liberated in April 1945. In all, Douglas Bader
achieved 24 kills during his career, four of which
were shared, seven probable and 11 enemy
aircraft damaged.
Brian John Edward Lane DFC was a fighter ace
and respected commander of No. 19 Squadron.
He was born on June 18, 1917, and joined the
RAF in 1936. After completing his training,
he was posted to No. 66 Squadron in January
1937 and No. 213 Squadron in June. Shortly after
the outbreak of war he became a Flying Officer
with No. 19 Squadron. He was awarded the DFC
for his successes over Dunkirk in late July
and officially became Squadron Commander
on September 5. The Spitfires that Brian Lane
regularly flew had his personal emblem under
the cockpit – a swastika pierced by a yellow
lightning bolt. Spitfire P7619, which S/Ldr Brian
Lane flew throughout the first half of 1941, had
the emblem of the swastika and lightning bolt
depicted under the commander’s pennant.
For a time, his Spitfire carried a non-standard
rear-view mirror system with additional mirrors
on either side of the windscreen frame, but as
the effectiveness of such a set-up was doubtful,
it was soon removed. In June 1941 Lane was
assigned to No. 12 Group Headquarters and in
November was sent on a tour of duty in the
Middle East. In June 1942 he returned to the UK
and took command of No. 61 OTU. On December
9, 1942, he took command of No. 167 Squadron.
Four days after his arrival he led three more
Spitfires over the Dutch coast and was last
seen in pursuit of two Fw 190s. He was most
likely shot down over the North Sea. During his
wartime career he scored seven confirmed kills,
two unconfirmed, one probable and damaged
one enemy aircraft.
KITS 04/2025
INFO Eduard
43
April 2025