KITS 05/2023

Spitfire Vb Trop, ER187, Maj. Frank A. Hill, 309th FS, 31st FG, Xewkija, Gozo - Malta, beginning of July 1943

Maj. Frank Hill’s Spitfire is known to carry two

different designs of the national insignia, with

a yellow outline and with the “wings” with the red

outline which fell into the period of the official

application, from June 28 to the end of July 1943.

A question remains if the new insignia were

painted for the ten days stay on Gozo or in Sicily

where the 31st FG was transferred on July 13,

1943.

Spitfire Vc Trop, BR190, F/Sgt Virgil P. Brennan, No. 249 Squadron, RAF Ta Kali, Malta, May 1942

Spitfire BR190 arrived in Malta on April 20, 1942,

during the Operation Calendar. It carried the

naval camouflage which was on the board of

USS Wasp (CV-7) partially overpainted with socalled Malta blue. On May 5, at the controls of

this unusually camouflaged Spitfire, F/Sgt Paul

Brennan shot down a Bf 109. Spitfire BR190 flying

career however was very short. On May 14 it was

destroyed during the bombing of the airport Ta

Kali. Virgil Paul Brennan was born in Warwick

May 2023

in Queensland on March 6, 1920, and before the

war practiced law. In November 1940 he joined

RAAF and was sent to Canada for an advanced

training. In August he was ordered to the Great

Britain where he continued his training with No.

53 OTU. In October he was assigned to the No. 64

Squadron but in the beginning of March he was

transferred to Malta. On March 17 he flew off

the HMS Eagle deck to the island together with

the first Spitfires delivery. After the landing he

was attached to the No. 249 Squadron. Between

March 17 and June 7 he scored seven kills. In July

he completed his tour of duty with the No. 249

Squadron and flew back to the Great Britain. Here

he served as an instructor with the No. 52 OTU

until January 1943 and after that he set sail for

home, Australia. On May 1 he was assigned to the

No. 79 Squadron RAAF in Laverton, unfortunately

he did not fly there for long. On June 13, 1943, he

was mortally wounded in a crash near Garbutt.

INFO Eduard

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