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The first photograph looks to be L1628 LK*H impounded 13/11/39 after it force landed near De Panne. According to The Battle of France Then and Now it was impressed into service with the Belgian Air Force unit 2/I/2 as H37.
I thin there were three RAF Hurricanes that met this fate. On 10/11/39 L1619 LK*P ran out of fuel and force landed at Aalbeke. According to the same source it was given the Belgium serial H35. On the 13/11/39 L1813 LK*O landed near Koksijde in bad weather. Again the same source says it was given the Belgian serial H38.
So why the gap? There is a photograph of H36. So where did this extra Hurricane come from? Perhaps the above serials are in error? The second photograph could be the same Hurricane so perhaps L1628 was coded H36 not H37?
What issue was the Flypast article in?
The stencilling on the fin and rudder, next to the W/T indicators, includes the serial number of the aircraft, a standard marking on removable parts. Close examination, as best as I could get, reveals a 6 and a 9, so it's possibly L1619. I'll see if I can use some different software to enhance further, but I doubt it.
Hello,
I am new to this forum and I think I can help out a bit with the question of the two Hurri pics.
These pictures turned up a couple of years ago on eBay and delivered one important proof to what some Belgian researchers, including myself are stating since some years.
To us the impounded RAF aircraft have never seen service with the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire. The pictures were taken during the evacuation of the Evere based Etablissement d'Aéronautique (deep maintenance and repair unit) towards France after the German invasion of Belgium.
First of all it is important to see H-36 because this aircraft had a nose stand after a blown tire at an unknown location on 6 May 1940 (Info Royal Army Museum Brussels - Russian Arch box 883/185-14-2123 I/2Aé. Stuk 285.). This machine was noted prop-less (remember nose stand) at Bordeaux-Merignac airfield in June 1940. Unfortunately I have no information of L1628 LK*H also being at the same location, but this would be logical.
In short, to us, the Belgian Aéronautique Militaire has received 20 Hurricanes as planned of the normal RAF production line with H-39 (3 blade prop) simply being the next aircraft available featuring the new modifications. This last mentioned aircraft is often identified as being RAF's N2361 (no a/c code) of N° 43 Sq which crash landed at Esplechin near Tournai by a Canadian pilot on 9 December 1939. This however has also been found to be false as the wreck of this aircraft (still wearing RAF c/s) was seen in a hangar at Wevelgem airbase when the Germans took over the place. A 21st AéM machine, H-42 was a Belgian licence build Hurricane which was delivered on May 6th 1940. A following machine H-43 had already test flown but was not yet delivered by the time the Germans attacked, on May 10th 1940.
Hope this helps,
Best regards,
Daniel Brackx
Belgian Aviation History Association
Hi Antoni,
I have indeed some RAF serials for the last batch of Hurricanes (H-35 - H38 >< L2107 - L2110 no serial for H-39 !!) but I have no confirmation at all for these. So be careful with them !!
Regards,
Daniel Brackx
Belgian Aviation History Association