KITS 08/2021

MW835, W/Cdr Charles H. Dyson, Wing Commander Flying Southern Sector, RAF Middle Wallop, Hamshire, United Kingdom, April 1946

Charles Harold Dyson was born in Jhansi, India (July 8, 1913) and began his RAF career in 1937. After training he became a member of No. 33

Sqn and carried out attacks on Arab insurgents in Palestine (from Ramla base). His part in these operations earned him a DFC. He remained

in the Middle East after the outbreak of WWII and on December 11, 1940, he encountered a group of six Italian Cr.42s and reportedly shot them

all down. However, he had to make an emergency landing himself, returning to the unit six days later. Dyson received a Bar to his DFC for this

achievement to which he added two more Cr.42 kills. The No. 33 Sqn moved to Greece and Dyson was shot down there by an Italian G.50 on

March 23 and then by AA fire on April 5. He managed to bail out in both cases. After the fall of Greece, Dyson served as a fighter pilot in Egypt

but was not involved in any further combat action. Following his return to the UK he had short spells with the CGS and AFD and then spent

the rest of the war instructing and commanding Armament Practice Camps and squadrons within Tactical Exercise Units. After the war he

remained in the service until October 1963. By the time he became Wing Commander of the Southern Sector of Fighter Command, he had taken

over the aircraft of R. P. Beamont and added stylized lightning bolt on the fuselage - a most unusual marking on RAF aircraft at that time. The

colors of it were probably yellow and red and the personal code was white. After a short period of time, the lightning bolt was removed, leaving

only a red wedge with no trim; the spinner was now half black/half white whereas it is thought it may previously have been yellow. For unknown reasons, the main undercarriage covers were replaced, thereby disrupting the serial number on the lower wing surfaces.

MW416, S/Ldr Henry Ambrose, No. 26 Squadron, RAF Fassberg, Germany, May 1947

Henry “Poppa” Ambrose joined No. 257 Sqn in 1941 as a Flight Sergeant and he exchanged the Hurricane for the Typhoon in 1942. With the latter, he was mostly

flying defensive patrols over the English Channel, watching for and intercepting low-flying Fw 190s. Ambrose served with the unit until 1943 when, having

completed his operational tour, he was posted ‘on rest’, retraining as a Fighter Controller, serving in this role during Operation Neptune (the maritime part of

Operation Overlord) on June 6, 1944, and subsequent operations over Normandy. In August 1944 he returned to operational flying, joining No. 175 Sqn as a flight

commander, flying rocket-armed Typhoons. In February 1945 he was promoted to command another Typhoon RP unit, No. 181 Sqn. After the war Ambrose continued in the RAF and from January 1946 commanded No. 41 Sqn which was redesignated No. 26 Sqn on April 1. Ambrose continued as commanding officer until

May 1947. His Tempest Mk.II was from the first 50-aircraft series produced at Banwell (Bristol) and thus did not originally have a tropical filter. It was later fully

tropicalized with the tropical air filter and water cylinders in cockpit, as were six other early series aircraft delivered to the RAF (most of these early Tempests

were fully modified and sold to India or Pakistan). MW416 was in service with the unit from July 1946 to September 1948 and was allocated to squadron commanders; it was flown successively by Ambrose, Brandt, Mitchell, and Frost. The propeller spinner was probably red and white (or blue) during the Ambrose period

of service, later it may have been white/black or silver/black. The entire aircraft was painted with a cellulose silver paint known as "Aluminium",

officially Silver Dope spec. 33B/317 516 Type C (Cellulose). The aircraft sported Squadron Leader pennants on both sides of the fuselage,

and later carried unit badge on the top of the fin.

MW833, No. 183/54 Sqn, RAF Chilbolton, Hampshire, United Kingdom, June 1946

The aircraft, named "Canadian DCMs", following a donation by that organisation, served with No. 183 Sqn, which was redesignated No. 54 Sqn

on November 15 as the RAF reorganised post-war and reduced the number of operational units. Like most other squadrons with higher numbers, it thus took on the designation of an older and more traditional unit. No. 54 Sqn was one of only two squadrons that used Tempest Mk.IIs

within Fighter Command and so they were based in the United Kingdom. The aircraft had the standard camouflage scheme of Ocean Grey and

Dark Green on the upper surfaces and Medium Sea Grey on the lower surfaces. The rear fuselage stripe and code markings were in Sky, the

stripes on the nose, fin, horizontal stabilizer and the spinner were white. After its service with the squadron, MW833 underwent overhaul at

Langley (Hawker factory) and was stored at No. 6 MU Brize Norton until August 1951 when it was handed over for scrapping.

INFO Eduard - August 2021

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