BP Defiant in US service?

[fastmongrel]

Wonderful wiki threw up an interesting fact when I was looking for something else. According to the faultless wiki the Boulton Paul Defiant was in service with the USAAF. This was a big surprise for me I am not sure there is a surprise emoticon big enough to cover this.

I can only imagine they were used for Target towing though whether Ground or Air target I couldnt speculate. Has anyone ever come across a Daffy in US colours or was this just a RAF sqn/flight being lent to the US for temporary duty. I am thinking this would make a good project for the new Airfix A05128 Boulton Paul Defiant Mk1 1:48

List of aircraft of the United States during World War II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Airframes]

There were two Defiants known to have served with the USAAF, both with a Combat Crew Replacement unit at Bovington, Hertfordshire (where 'The War Lover', '633 Sqn' and 'Hanover Street' were filmed.)
Don't know much about them, but looks like they may have been used as 'hacks', just judging by the pics.

 

[Wurger]

 

[fastmongrel]

Both those pictures show the Target Towing attachment just aft of the radiator pod but dont know whether that was a standard fitment on unarmed Daffys.

 

[fubar57]

As Terry said, Bovington with the CCRU. His top photo shows JW✯U. sn DR945

 

[nuuumannn]

As Terry said, Bovington with the CCRU. His top photo shows JW✯U. sn DR945

Good stuff Geo; caption from Mark Ansell's Boulton Paul Defiant book showing DR945 - and it's Bovingdon - no 'T' - not the same place as the tank museum, which I must visit next time I'm in the UK;

"One of two Defiants used by the 11th Combat Crew Replacement Centre of the United States Army Air Force 326th Bombardment Squadron, based at Bovingdon. Note the American star and bar roundel on the fuselage. The port wing sported this, too on the upper surface and an RAF C-type roundel on the lower surface, with the starboard wing having this reversed."

The lower picture of the two Terry supplied (with the sharks mouth) is included in the same book with further information to that above;

"This is believed to be DR944 pictured while visiting the 91st Bomb group at Bassingbourne [sic - no 'E' in Bassingbourn] in December 1943. A year later this aircraft went to Martin Baker and took part in the first airborne ejector seat trials."

The top photo was taken at RAF Rougham according to Alec Brew's The Defiant File. Both aircraft were seconded to the 11th CCRC at Bovingdon on 1 September 1942, with DR944 going to 10 MU on 7 July 1944 and DR945 going to 10 MU on 12 December 1944 under charge of the Royal Navy.

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Grant, and why the heck I typed Bovington, instead of Bovingdon, I'll never know !
I know the place well, just a few miles from Hemel Hempstead, as I 'borrowed' a friends house there, just opposite what was the airfield, now a prison, back in the early 1990s, and used to visit the same friend until around 15 years ago, when he moved house.
A great pub in the village itself, 'The Bell', was used by USAAF personnel during the war.
The main runway and peri tracks etc are still there, used for a Sunday market and 'car boot', and I've walked nearly every inch of it, but where the hangars and admin site were is now the prison.
An amusing thing about the two place names - cars would frequently stop in the village and the occupants would ask directions to the Tank Museum, when the locals would point in the general direction of south, and say 'About another 130 miles that way !".

 

[fastmongrel]

I used to do NSA National Sprint Association meetings at Bov in the late 80s and early 90s when I lived in Hemel Hempstead. Great fun start the meeting with a nicely tuned engine finish it with a bucket full of bent rods, cracked pistons and lumps of crankcase. Aaah happy (but expensive) days.