KITS 08/2021

BS152, F/O Lorne M. Cameron, No. 402 Squadron RCAF, RAF Kenley, Surrey, United Kingdom, February 1943

Lorne Maxwell Cameron enlisted in the RCAF in January 1941 and after completion of training, he was dispatched to the UK in

September 1941. Prior to joining No. 402 Sqn in January 1942, he attended No. 53 OTU for combat training. On February 27, the

day of his 21st birthday, Cameron scored his first victory, shooting down a Fw 190A-4 of JG 26. He flew this BS152 Spitfire in that

sortie and added one damaged on March 13. After being injured on July 22, he spent some time in convalescence, returning to

the unit in September 1943. After a period with No. 53 OTU, where he served as an instructor, he returned to action with No. 401

Sqn and took over the unit commander responsibilities. Cameron and his “boys” were tasked with numerous anti-ground sorties

and the leader really showed the others the way, as he was credited with some 75 vehicles and five rail locomotives destroyed.

He also added five more aerial victories plus one damage of enemy aircraft. He was shot down by Flak over France on July 3,

1944. He was able to hide himself for two months before being captured but managed to escape and returned back to the UK

in September 1944. At the end of the war, he left RCAF and served with Auxiliary Air Force No. 402 „City of Winnipeg“ Squadron,

where he was promoted to the Wing Commander rank. His Spitfire BS152 was decorated with nose art of skull in red circle and

also sported rather unusual deletion of the outer cannon provision cover.

EN286, F/Lt Eric Robinson, No. 1 SAAF Squadron, Pachino, Sicily, July 1943

The pilot with the full name McClellan Eric Sutton Robinson, usually called „Robbie“, was born in Johannesburg on February 26,

1919. He achieved ace status by shooting down five enemy aircraft plus one probable and one damaged. His first operational unit

was No. 1 SAAF Sqn with Hurricanes, which he joined in August 1942 and stayed there for one year. He achieved his first combat

success on November 2, 1942, when he shared one Ju 87 and after switching to Spitfire Mk.V he added five victories between

January and April 1943. After that, Robinson was unlucky for first time, as he was shot down by friendly USAAF P-38 and had to

bail out over the Mediterranean Sea on July 14, 1943. He was lucky to be rescued by Greek destroyer. Robinson was awarded DFC

at the end of his combat tour in September 1943 and sent to the UK to become instructor at No. 11 OTU. There he was unlucky for

second time on November 14, 1944, as he collided with one of the trainees when flying Kittyhawk and crashed to his death. His

Spitfire EN286 was one of the aircraft which were taken over from Polish Fighting Team. The original codes were overpainted by

Dark Earth color and then new ones of No. 1 Sqn painted. The inscription Cirecooks is the combination of his given name being

spelt backwards and the surname of his fiancée. The number III indicates it was hist third aircraft of this name. Robinson did not

achieve any aerial victory flying it.

INFO Eduard - August 2021

eduard

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