KITS 08/2021

MW849, No. 247 Sqn, RAF Chilbolton, Hampshire, United Kingdom, September 1945

No. 247 Squadron was formed at the end of the WWI, on August 20, 1918, by the amalgamation of No. 336 and No. 337 Flights of RNAS (Royal

Naval Air Service) but was disbanded just five months later on January 22, 1919. The unit was reactivated on August 1, 1940 and was tasked

with the defence of the south-western part of the British coastline, including the ports of Plymouth and Falmouth. As it was equipped with

obsolescent Gloster Gladiator biplanes, chances of its pilots achieving success against German opponents were slim. The unit converted to the

Hawker Hurricane as early as December 1940 and undertook both day and night missions. The pilots did not claim their first victory until July

7, 1941, when a Ju 88 was shot down. After re-equipment with Typhoons, the unit flew only day missions and was among the busiest in ground

attack with RP during the days prior to the Operation Overlord through to the end of hostilities. In the summer of 1945 No. 247 Sqn was removed from BAFO (as 2nd TAF had been renamed) and began preparations to be sent to the Far East in Burma. To this end, it was the second

squadron to receive the Tempest Mk.II. However, the surrender of Japan changed the situation, the unit remained in the UK and became the

first unit to be rearmed with the de Havilland Vampire jets. The MW798 had the standard Day Fighter Scheme camouflage and sported white

stripes on the rudder and horizontal stabilizer; the propeller spinner had three-tone colour, probably red, white, and blue, corresponding with

RAF roundel.

MW417, No. 26 Sqn, RAF Wunstorf, Germany, 1947

As part of the post-war RAF downsizing the former No. 41 Sqn was redesignated No. 26 Sqn. This occurred on April 1, 1946, when the unit was

based at Wunstorf Air Base in Germany. No. 26 Squadron was formed at Netheravon (UK) on October 8, 1915, and subsequently sent to East

Africa, where it operated from Mombasa airfield until February 1918, when it returned and was disbanded in July. The reactivation came October 11, 1927, as a single squadron of Armstrong Whitworth Atlas machines. No. 26 Sqn started the war with Westland Lysander aircraft flying

reconnaissance missions with them until February 1941, when received Curtiss Tomahawks as the replacement, these being in turn changed

for Mustang Is (and briefly Spitfires, as artillery spotters during the invasion of Normandy). The war ended in Germany, where the squadron (by

the time equipped with Spitfire Mk.XIs and XIVs) was also disbanded and subsequently re-formed from No. 41 Sqn. This aircraft is interesting in

that it has a fuselage code designation unusually outlined with a thin black line. The propeller spinner was blue and white, and the unit emblem

was painted on top of the vertical fin. The squadron motto "N Wagter in der Lug" is in Afrikaans, as the unit was originally made up of South

Africans. It stands for “Air Patrol” and the emblem features the head of an antelope. Tempests Mk.II were used by the unit until April 1949, when

it re-equipped with de Havilland Vampire jets.

MW423, No. 33 Sqn, RAF Changi, Singapore, August 1949

No. 33 Squadron was stationed in Germany after the war. From there it was shipped aboard HMS Ocean to the Far East in early

July 1949. The unit operated in the region until 1970, flying sorties against Communist guerrillas in Malaya until 1960. It was also

the last RAF operational unit to fly Tempests Mk.II. Its pilots made last sortie with them on June 6, 1951, then started to exchange

them for de Havilland Hornet F.3s. Originally allocated to No. 26 Sqn, MW423 was transferred to No. 33 Sqn in April 1949 and

was also one of seven early production Mk.IIs converted to the "full tropical" standard for the RAF. Interestingly, it featured an

escape panel warning marking on the port side of the fuselage (usually only seen on the starboard side). The top of the fin was

decorated with the unit's emblem of a deer head and with the simple motto "Loyalty". It was in use until January 20, 1950, when

an undercarriage failure made a “wheels-up” landing necessary. Although repaired it saw no further active service.

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INFO Eduard - August 2021