**** DONE: 1/48 Supermarine Spitfire 1 - Defense of Britain/Atlantic.

[ozhawk40]

Username: Ozhawk40
First name: Peter
Category: Advanced
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Airfix
Model Type: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I
Aftermarket additions: Montex paint masks, Eduard seat belts, decals from the spares box.

For this build I have chosen the aircraft of Flight Lieutenant Paterson Clarence Hughes, DFC. Pat Hughes flew with 234 Squadron during the battle of Britain and became the highest scoring Australian pilot during the battle before being killed in action 7/9/40. There is no available decals or internet profiles for this aircraft, Spitfire Mk.1 X4009 that I am aware. It's only recently that the aircraft he flew on that fateful day was identified as coded AZ-Q.

 

[ozhawk40]

The kit I will using is the new tool 1/48 Airfix Spitfire Mk.1. A really nice looking kit in the box, reports are this kit is accurate and goes together well. I don't have any decals, but will be using a combination of Montex masks for most of the markings, custom cutting masks for the code letters and using some spare Xtradecal 8in black serials to get the X4009.

 

[ozhawk40]

BIOGRAPHY - Paterson Clarence Hughes - RAAF and RAF

Enlisted RAAF 20 Jan 1936
Served with 234 RAF Squadron, awarded Distinguished Flying Cross 1940.

B19 Sept 1917 - KIA 7 Sept 1940

Born in Cooma NSW, Australia,Pat was the youngest of five boys in a family that also boasted seven girls.
In 1935 aged 17, Pat had applied to join the air force and navy and was accepted for both services; he chose the former and began his Royal Australian Air Force career in 1936 by reporting to Point Cook in Victoria for Cadet training. He graduated in January 1937 and was selected for a scheme to transfer to the Royal Air Force with a Short Service Commission and upon arrival in England he was sent to 2 Flying Training School at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire to assess his flying ability.

Flying Officer Hughes was posted to 64 RAF Squadron at RAF Church Fenton in North Yorkshire to fly Bristol Blenheim heavy-fighters.
Still wearing his dark blue RAAF uniform with RAF insignia, in which he cut quite a dashing figure, he was serving with the unit when war was declared in September 1939.

At the end of the following month, Pat was posted to RAF Leconfield in neighbouring East Yorkshire to join the newly reformed 234 RAF Squadron (Aircraft marked as AZ) as a Flight Commander and in November 1939 was made an Acting Flight Lieutenant.
The squadron had a mixed-bag of aircraft types with Blenheims,Fairey Battles and Gloster Gauntlets in use initially.

The ultimate joy for the pilots came in March 1940 when the Squadron re-equipped with Supermarine Spitfires and after a short tenure at RAF Church Fenton, Pat and the Squadron were sent to RAF St Eval in Cornwall during mid-June 1940 where he continued to hone his skill flying the best the RAF had to offer.

With Great Britain standing alone against the Nazi threat, action for Pat against the much-vaunted Luftwaffe came just before the Battle of Britain began, when during the early evening of Monday 8 July 1940, Pat's Section engaged a reconnaissance Ju88 off Lands End.
Pat and his two wingmen returned to claim the first victory for the Squadron as they each had a share in the destruction of the lone enemy raider.
Pat repeated this success on two further occasions in late July 1940.

A high point at this time outside the theatre of war was his marriage to his English sweetheart Kay on Thursday 1 August 1940, whom he had met in Beverley when he was stationed at RAF Leconfield earlier in the year.

As the Battle of Britain grew in intensity, Pat like any keen fighter pilot was eager to join the air battles raging over South-east England and on Wednesday 14 August 1940, the day after the Luftwaffe launched "Adler Tag" - Eagle Day -, 234 RAF Squadron were sent to RAF Middle Wallop in Hampshire.

The very next day they were soon in the thick of the action against large Luftwaffe formations and Pat shot down a Me110 and shared in the destruction of another 'Zerstörer'.
At the end of August 1940 after constant action, the Australian was an 'ace' with claims for about a dozen enemy aircraft.

Pat had earned a reputation for his leadership, fighting style and success and was renowned for closing in to very short range when attacking his chosen target.
During the first week of September 1940, Pat made claims for another eight enemy aircraft, all of which were Messerschmitt fighters including a Me109 destroyed on the morning of 6 September 1940 near Dover with two more probably destroyed.

However the strain of combat since arriving at RAF Middle Wallop was beginning to show on the face of the gallant Australian as he was evidently reaching the end of his endurance.

Saturday 7 September 1940 marked a new phase of the Battle of Britain when the Luftwaffe turned its main attention from RAF airfields to the City of London.
In a new development to win air superiority, the Luftwaffe embarked upon a massive daylight raid hoping to bring about a decisive clash with RAF fighters.

At about 1600 Hrs, the first of around 350 enemy bombers and 620 escorting fighters of an almost continual stream began crossing over The English Channel towards the Kent coastline.
RAF controllers expected the massed enemy formations to split up and attack various airfields etc, but the realisation almost came too late that the target was in fact London.
The many RAF fighter squadrons already positioned in the air on their patrol lines were re-vectored towards the huge numbers of Luftwaffe aircraft heading for London.

234 RAF Squadron were sent on their way at 1735 for an interception 'scramble' and were vectored to patrol RAF Kenley and RAF Biggin Hill Areas at 'Angels 20' [20 000 feet]. Soon enough the 12 Spitfires were facing large numbers of enemy bombers and fighters returning from London and flying south to make good their escape back to bases in France.
On this early Saturday evening Pat led his Flight to attack a formation of Dornier Do17's near Sevenoaks.

Tragically for the RAF Squadron their Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader Joseph 'Spike' O'Brien RAF was shot down and killed when his Spitfire P9466 crashed near RAF Biggin Hill at about 1825.
In the moments that followed even more tragedy for the Spitfires of 234 RAF Squadron was about to occur.

A Dornier Do17Z from the Stab Flight of Kampfgeschwader 76 that was returning from the raid,was struggling onwards after having conducted a photo-reconnaissance mission over London.
It had already been reportedly hit by machine-gun fire from the Spitfires of 602 RAuxAF Squadron and possibly a Hawker Hurricane from 79 RAF Squadron flown by Flying Officer George Peters RAF.

Precisely what happened next has been subject to a number of different accounts,but one report suggests that as F/L Pat Hughes attacked this particular Dornier,it exploded and parts of the bomber struck his Spitfire X4009 (AZ-D)causing it to fall away.
A further account says that due to the damage inflicted from the earlier fighter attacks,the Dornier suddenly went out of control and collided with Pat's Spitfire.

To add to the confusion regarding what happened,other accounts state that the Australian was shot down by a Me109,or that his aircraft was caught in the hail of machine-gun fire from another attacking RAF fighter.

An eyewitness account from the ground however throws up another version of events.
According to the eyewitness, the Spitfire was seen to deliberately collide with the Dornier.
This could be reckoned to tally with yet another account that records F/L Hughes being so infuriated at seeing his CO, S/L O'Brien shot down,that he climbed up under the formation of Dorniers and smashed into the leading bomber!

Whatever the truth,the attempt to successfully bale-out from his stricken Spitfire proved tragic as the body of Pat was found in a garden at Sundridge about one mile to the west of Sevenoaks.
His Spitfire came to earth at Dark's Farm just outside Sevenoaks at Bessels Green.

The Dornier crashed in pieces across Sundridge with the crew of Lt G Schneider,Oberfeldwebel K Schneider and Unteroffizier W Rupprecht being killed.
Feldwebel E Rosche was the only survivor having managed to bale-out slightly wounded.

Flight Lieutenant Paterson Clarence Hughes was laid to rest on Friday 13 September 1940 at Sutton-in-Holderness in St James Churchyard near Hull,the hometown of his wife who so sadly was a bride for only 5 short weeks of that momentous summer..

On 22 October 1940 the announcement appeared in The London Gazette that a Distinguished Flying Cross was being posthumously awarded to F/L Hughes, the citation stating:-

"This officer has led his flight with skill and determination.
He has displayed gallantry in his attacks on the enemy and has destroyed seven of their aircraft."

(When the Dornier that Pat Hughes collided with was excavated many years ago,fragments of Spitfire wreckage were found to be embedded in the structure of the German bomber..)

extract from the Spitfire Association website

 

[le_steph40]

8)

 

[Wurger]

 

[rochie]

Nice one Peter, been a while since you were in a GB

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Very nice indeed.

Jeff

 

[T Bolt]

Good to see you in a group build again Peter

 

[rochie]

Got the Q's from my Tamiya kit if you want them Peter ?

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff Peter, and I'm looking forward to seeing the build of this new kit.
If I can, I'll be doing another Spitfire from 234 Sqn, this time a 'clipped wing' MkVb, in 1/32nd scale, flown by a lovely chap I met a couple of times back in 1995.

 

[rochie]

It also looks like it has most of the bits for a Mk V as well !

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice to see you join in again Peter and looking forward to how you get on with the codes.

 

[ozhawk40]

Got the Q's from my Tamiya kit if you want them Peter ?

Cheers and thanks for the offer Karl, but I should be right. I'll be painting all the codes using masks apart from the motif on the cockpit door and the serial number/ various stencils. Thanks Terry, Glen, Jeff, W. and CR

It's difficult to get period photos taken in England of the squadron, but the Germans were a bit more snap happy. Here's a close up pic of what I'm talking about and it is included on the Montex mask for AZ-H that forced landed in France August 1940. [source:ebay 8)]

It's been a while, sorry guys, but a new job has left me little spare time over the past two years to focus on building and research, but fingers crossed I'll get this done. It certainly is a worthy subject, I feel.

Cheers

Peter

 

[ozhawk40]

The issue of the Squadron codes was only recently resolved by the fitter of his aircraft X4009, Joe Roddis and was reported on in the magazine "Britain at War" in July 2013 edition. He was also able to supply a photograph of X4009, the only one known to exist confirming the aircraft codes as AZ-Q. Attached is the article scan and a close up of the photo for anybody interested. Cheers guys. 8)

Peter

 

[Airframes]

I think I have a colour profile, and a colour image of the badge Peter - leave it with me and I'll find them, scan them and post them here.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Great stuff Peter, I particularly like the account you have posted, it make for interesting reading and it's good to have you back in the GB's.

 

[Wayne Little]

Good choice and glad to see you back Peter!

 

[ozhawk40]

Thanks Terry and Vic

I started out on some basic assembly of the cockpit parts and everything goes together very well. The detail is very good, so not so much of an issue to get resin or etch for this kit. I have made a couple of improvements so far by drilling out the frame holes and cutting a slot in the head armour plate for the seat belts to pass through.

Cheers

Peter

 

[Airframes]

Nice work, and the mouldings look good.
Here's the profile and 'badge'. The aircraft is that of Richard Hardy, not, as I originally thought, Pat Hughes' kite, but the profile and badge might help a bit. They're from a series of articles originally published in 1982, in 'Scale Models' magazine, and then re-published as a book a few years later. Note the misprint of the Squadron number !

 

[Crimea_River]

Good start. Lovely little pit with that kit.