KITS 06/2021

P/O Frederick A. O. Gaze, No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron, RAF Westhampnett, West Sussex, United Kingdom, June 1941

In March 1941 Australian Tony Gaze joined No. 610 Squadron, part of Tangmere Wing led by Douglas Bader, together with his brother Scott

who was killed shortly afterwards, on March 23, 1941. In October he was transferred to No. 57 OTU. In June 1942 he started his second tour of

duty with No. 616 Squadron and in August he assumed command of No. 64 Squadron. On September 4, 1943, while flying with No. 66 Squadron he was shot down by Heinz-Gerhard Vogt from 7./JG 26. With the help of French Resistance he managed to avoid capture and returned

back to England. In February 1944 he rejoined No. 610 Squadron, latter he shot down a V-1 flying bomb on August 5, 1944. In February 1945

he shot down a Me 262A. He joined No. 41 Squadron in April sharing a victory over Ar 234 on April 12. On May 2, 1945, he assumed command

of flight of No. 616 Squadron where he flew Meteor Mk.III. After the war he was involved in car racing and became the first Australian racing in

Formula 1.

P8519, No. 306 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Northolt, United Kingdom, July 1941

No. 306 (Polish) Squadron (City of Torun), one of ten Polish fighter squadrons in the RAF, was established on August 28, 1940, at RAF Church

Fenton. The squadron was formed from the pre-war Polish Toruński Dywizjon Myśliwski personnel and based on its traditions. In mid July

1941, the unit received Spitfires Mk.IIb to trade them for its Hurricanes Mk.IIa. Surprisingly, Polish squadrons operated quite a lot of cannon-armed Spitfires Mk.IIb. This aircraft carries the standard RAF camouflage (Temperate Land Scheme) dating from the first half of 1941. The

upper surfaces are painted in Dark Green and Dark Earth, the lower surfaces are in Sky. The propeller spinner is in Sky color as well as the

fuselage band in front of the tail surfaces. Note the red patch on the starboard fuselage spine covering the flare ejection channel. The majority

of Spitfires Mk.IIb was equipped with de Havilland propeller, such as this aircraft.

P8646, No. 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron, RAF Kirton in Lindsey, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, October/November 1941

This Spitfire Mk.IIb from No. 616 Squadron sports a new camouflage, Day Fighter Scheme, introduced on August 19, 1941. The upper surfaces

were painted in Dark Green and Ocean Grey, the lower surfaces in Medium Sea Grey. The code letters were in Sky color as well as the fuselage

band and the propeller spinner. The fin flash on the tail was of the low type, 27 inches high. The aircraft carried the donation inscription

ROCHDALE AND DISTRICT 2 on the starboard side of the fuselage nose. It served with No. 616 Squadron from May 8, 1941, until January 15,

1942, when it was handed over to No. 331 (Norwegian) Squadron where it was coded FN-K. Some sources attribute this aircraft to P/O Colin

Hodgkinson who, same as Douglas Bader, flew with leg prosthetics. It’s probably a mistake since Colin Hodgkinson started his combat flying in

September 1942 at No. 131 Squadron.

INFO Eduard - June 2021

eduard

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