KITS 09/2022
MW835, W/Cdr Charles H. Dyson, CO of Southern Sector, RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire,
Great Britain, 1946
After W/Cdr Roland Beamont the new Southern Sector
commander became Charles „Deadstick“ Dyson who
had his leader’s MW835 repainted with his inititials
„C-D“ and add to the marking the unusually gaudy red
and yellow lightning on the both sides of the fuselage.
The lightning was partially deleted and only the red
nose with red chevrons on the sides remained. Black
and white propeller spinner was probably the remainder of the original scheme. From the period photograph we can determine that the MW835 landing gear
covers on both sides were either replaced or repainted
as the corresponding part of the wing codes on the lower wing surfaces is missing.
MW800, S/Ldr Frank W. M. Jensen, CO of No. 54 Squadron, RAF Chilbolton, Hampshire,
Great Britain, June 1946
During the Victory Flight Parade, which took place on
June 8, 1946 over London, No. 54 Squadron was led by
S/Ldr Frank Jensen in his personal Tempest MW800
carrying fuselage code letters HF-V. No. 54 Squadron
was one of two units that flew Tempest Mk.II within
the Fighter Command therefore they were located on
the Great Britain‘s territory. The aircraft carried the
standard camouflage in Ocean Grey and Dark Green
colors on the upper surfaces and Medium Sea Grey
on the lower surfaces. The band on the rear fuse-
lage and code letters were painted Sky. The Jensen’s
aircraft carried the squadron commander pennant
under the windshield. The photograph confirms that
the left landing gear covers was probably a replacement from another Tempest.
PR527, RDF, Chakeri, India, January 1947
The first Tempests that arrived in India in the end of
June 1945 were PR256 and PR527. They sported the
Day Fighter Scheme with at that time applicable combat identification of the fighters operating in ACSEA
area – the white propeller spinner as well as white
September 2022
serial number and stripes on the wings, horizontal
and vertical tail surfaces. The smaller and modified
national insignia were painted in the combination of
dark and light blue color. From January 1947 the aircraft flew at the research and development aviation
Chakeri. Eight months later it was handed over to
the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) which operated it in
this markings except of the national markings which
were replaced with the pre-war RAF insignia.
INFO Eduard
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