239 Wing RAF, November 1944

[Chris_Hammerbeck]

Hi all, I'm quite the novice when it comes to RAF details or where to find them and I'm coming up short on a couple of questions. I'm specifically looking for information on 3 Sqd. RAAF and 250 Sqdn. RAF on November 6, 1944.

My first question is about Kittyhawk IV FX666. The Xtradecals "Fighters over the Mediterranean, Pt.1" sheets lists this plane as being with 450 Sqdn RAAF but I have found it listed as flying with 3 Sqdn RAAF. Maybe its just a timing thing. My question is, when did 3 Sqdn. start using the light blue rudders with white stars? The decal sheet has these markings as suggests "late 1944". Would FX666 have had these markings on 6 November 1944?

Second question is about 250 Sqdn Kittyhawks. I'm having one heck of a time finding any pictures of 250 Sqdn. Kittyhawks in Italy in late 1944. I've found a few profiles of on Kittyhawk, FX781, named "Ghost" that suggests this plane was in Italy in 1944. I can't find any photos of this plane. Have any of you seen photos of this plane or any other 250 Sqdn Kittyhawk in Italy in November/late 1944?

Thanks.
Chris

 

[fubar57]

No.3 Squadron RAAF Kittyhawk questionhttp://photobucket.com/gallery/user/tooley220/media/cGF0aDpNZWQgR0IgUGljcy9LSVRUWUhBV0sgMyBTUU4gUkFBRl96cHNybW94dTZ0dy5qcGc=/?ref=

 

[Chris_Hammerbeck]

No.3 Squadron RAAF Kittyhawk questionhttp://photobucket.com/gallery/user/tooley220/media/cGF0aDpNZWQgR0IgUGljcy9LSVRUWUhBV0sgMyBTUU4gUkFBRl96cHNybW94dTZ0dy5qcGc=/?ref=

Thanks! Too bad the picture isn't available anymore but the date helps. I forgot about Brit Modeler. Might have to check them out for the 250 Squadron pictures.
Cheers!
Update - got the picture now. Photobucket wasn't working on my iPad but my PC worked just fine. Nice picture!

 

[Sydhuey]

G'day Chris,
FX666 CV-Z was one of the last Kittyhawks delivered to 3 Sqn before conversion to Mustangs, it only operated with 3 Sqn for about 3 weeks before xfer to 450 Sqn, hence the mixed up /incorrect text on decal sheet, as far as I know it was the only Kittyhawk to get the blue rudder with southern cross applied, on page 155 of Stewart Wilsons "The Spitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service" is a picture of the tail presumably of this aircraft.
Also another thing with Kittyhawk IV schemes, very few were in desert scheme, as the Kitty IV's came into Sqn use about the time of the invasion of Italy (were the desert scheme didn't suit the terrain some may have been in Desert scheme but the vast majority were in the TLS of Dark Green/Dark Earth over Grey and some late delivery aircraft may have stayed in std US OD over Neutral Grey, the fixation that all Desert Airforce Kittyhawks must be desert cam gets in the way of reality, I have been informed in fact the 112 Sqn Kittyhawk IV at the RAF Museum in desert scheme is wrong , the fixation with 112 Sqn Shark Mouthed aircraft and desert schemes caused it to be in this scheme , FX760 was in the TLS scheme

 

[Chris_Hammerbeck]

G'day Chris,
FX666 CV-Z was one of the last Kittyhawks delivered to 3 Sqn before conversion to Mustangs, it only operated with 3 Sqn for about 3 weeks before xfer to 450 Sqn, hence the mixed up /incorrect text on decal sheet, as far as I know it was the only Kittyhawk to get the blue rudder with southern cross applied, on page 155 of Stewart Wilsons "The Spitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service" is a picture of the tail presumably of this aircraft.
Also another thing with Kittyhawk IV schemes, very few were in desert scheme, as the Kitty IV's came into Sqn use about the time of the invasion of Italy (were the desert scheme didn'r suit the some were in Desert scheme but the vast majority were in the TLS of Dark Green/Dark Earth over Grey and late delivery aircraft were in std US OD over Neutral Grey, the fixation that all Desert Airforce Kittyhawks must be desert cam gets in the way of reality, I have been informed in fact the 112 Sqn Kittyhawk IV at the RAF Museum in desert scheme is wrong , the fixation with 112 Sqn Shark Mouthed aircraft and desert schemes caused it to be in this scheme , FX760 was in the TLS scheme

Fantastic! Thanks for the reply. I guess if the plane was really with both 3 Sqn and 450 Sgn, the decal sheet isn't completely incorrect (although one of the threads listed below seems to debate this).

I've seen the tail picture that you mentioned and one other full profile picture of the starboard side (Aussie Modeller International • View topic - Blue tailed P-40 thoughts please.) and I personally can't determine if FX666 was in the TLS or OD/NG scheme. I want to say that I see very faint demarcation lines on the fuselage suggestive of the TLS scheme. That would fit with another thread I found on BritModeller (No.3 Squadron RAAF Kittyhawk question). Of course, I found both of those threads after I posted this question here.

Thanks again!
Cheers!