Page 60
TB349, F/Lt Malcom J. Gordon, No. 421 Squadron, B.90 Petit Brogel, Belgium,
February–April 1945
RR227, S/Ldr Otto Smik, No. 127 Squadron, B.60 Grimbergen, Belgium, November 1944
Malcolm “Mac” Gordon was very proud of his
Spitfire which bore a long unintelligible inscription
“Chinawattakamapoosekinapee” on the left side
of the engine cowling. The story of this strange
inscription took place one evening over a few
beers when Mac and Bill Marshall decided to come
up with a name for Mac’s Spitfire. As the night wore
on and the beer consumption increased, the name
got longer and longer. The red Indian emblem
on the left side of the engine cowling depicts
the logo of the McColl Frontenac Oil Company,
which sponsored No. 421 Squadron. “Mac” Gordon
achieved a total of five kills during his wartime
career in the cockpit of several Spitfires with
Nos. 403 and 421 Squadron and received the DFC.
When No. 127 Squadron was rearmed with
Spitfires Mk.XVI in early November 1944, Otto Smik
DFC became its new commander on November
13. He had the honor of becoming one of only
three Czechoslovaks to command a British
squadron. Unfortunately, Smik’s command was
short-lived. He was shot down by anti-aircraft
artillery during an attack on Zwolle station
on November 28, 1944 and did not survive an
emergency landing with his difficult-to-control
aircraft. Smik chose the serial number RR227
as his personal Spitfire for No. 127 Squadron.
Unfortunately, the appearance of his aircraft is
not documented photographically. Earlier sources
state that the fuselage designation may have
been 9N
-
B or 9N
-
R, but new research confirms
that both the fuselage letters B and R were worn
by Spitfires of a different serial number at the
time. Among the first newly delivered Spitfires to
No. 127 Squadron after Smik’s death was an
aircraft that received the letter N. It is thus
very likely that Smik also took his favorite
letter N for No. 127 Squadron as he did during
his time in the ranks of Czechoslovak No. 310
and No. 312 Squadrons. Smik also painted the
symbols of kills on his planes in various forms,
the flag of the Squadron commander cannot be
completely ruled out, nor can the presence of
the Czechoslovak cockade. S/Ldr Otto Smik was
the most successful Czechoslovak pilot fighting
in Spitfires, in their cockpits he achieved eleven
confirmed kills of enemy aircraft and destroyed
three V-1 missiles.
KITS 07/2024
INFO Eduard60
July 2024