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
37