Strana 37
P9386, S/Ldr Brian J. Lane, No. 19 Squadron, RAF Fowlmere, the United Kingdom,
August-September 1940
X4009, F/Lt Paterson C. Hughes, No. 234 squadron, RAF Middle Wallop, The United Kingdom, September 1940
Brian “Sandy” Lane was transferred to No. 19
Squadron shortly after the outbreak of the war
as commander of Flight A. After the squadron’s
commander, S/Ldr Geoffrey Stephenson,
was killed over Dunkirk, Lane became the
squadron’s acting commander. The Spitfire
that Lane regularly flew after the squadron
was re-equipped with the problematic cannon-
armed Spitfire Mk.Ib was the aircraft with
serial number P9386. In it, he scored three
confirmed aerial victories during the Battle of
Britain. Unlike his previous personal Spitfires,
this one did not feature his personal emblem—
a swastika crossed by a yellow lightning
bolt and the inscription “BLITZEN”—painted
beneath the cockpit. The spinner (yellow or
sky-blue, according to some sources) was
likely a remnant of the markings of the previous
operator, No. 7 OTU. This aircraft represents the
final style of paint schemes and markings used
by Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain.
The aircraft was originally manufactured with
black-and-white lower surfaces, therefore, no
markings are visible on the underside of the
wing after the application of the Sky-colored
paint. The hot-air heating vents for the onboard
weapons are also not visible on the underside
of the wing, so it is possible that this aircraft
was already equipped with electric heating for
the machine guns. On September 5, 1940, Brian
Lane formally became commander of No. 19
Squadron. He left the unit in early June 1941, and
in December 1942, he was placed in command
of No. 167 Squadron. Four days after his arrival,
he was shot down during Operation Rhubarb by
Lt. Walter Leonhardt of 6./JG 1. During his
wartime career, “Sandy” Lane scored nine aerial
victories, one of which was a shared victory.
Under the pseudonym B. J. Elian, he wrote the
classic book “Spitfire” (John Murray, 1942).
Patrick Clarence “Pat” Hughes, a native of
Cooma, Australia, joined the Royal Australian
Air Force (RAAF) in 1935. After completing his
training, he was selected for service in the RAF.
In 1937, he traveled to Great Britain and was
assigned to No. 2 FTS at Digby and subsequently
to No. 64 Squadron. When No. 234 Squadron
was reformed at Leconfield on October 30, 1939,
he was promoted, transferred, and appointed
commander of B Flight. Hughes contributed
to No. 234 Squadron’s first victory during the
Battle of Britain when he shot down a Ju 88
on July 8. Over the next few weeks, his tactic—
closing in at close range and quickly pulling
away—resulted in the destruction of 15 enemy
aircraft. On September 7, No. 234 Squadron
intercepted a large daytime raid on London
consisting of 60 Do 17s escorted by Bf 109s. Pat,
as was his custom, attacked the Dorniers at
close range. The aircraft he hit exploded, and
due to the close proximity, this caused serious
damage to Hughes’s Spitfire, causing him to lose
control, crash, and die. According to witnesses,
the aircraft was spinning in the air with
a section of its wing missing. Pat Hughes achieved
a total of 17 victories (15+2), making him the most
successful Australian ace of the Battle of Britain
and the sixth most successful Allied ace of the
Battle of Britain. The wreckage of Spitfire X4009
was recovered several years ago and donated
to the Hunter Fighter Collection; it is currently
being restored to airworthy condition by Vintage
Fighter Restorations. Upon completion, it will
serve as a flying memorial to Pat Hughes.
KITS 10/2026
INFO Eduard
37
October 2026