I am new to the forum, so I hope someone can help me with the following question. On April 3 1943 Handley Page Halifax Mk II -JB866- from 408 Squadron RCAF coded EQ-T crashed in Opheusden, Netherlands. P/O E.A. Sirett. I am the designer of an Air War Memorial which will honor all 16 allied aircraft and crews which crashed within the borders of the municipality of Neder-Betuwe. Each aircraft will have its own pillar with the silhouet of the aircraft concerned. In the case of the forenamed Halifax Mk II JB866 I would like to know if this was of series I or series IA as there is a difference in silhouet form. Any help is most welcome.
Halifax MkII series I or !A
- Thread starter Bart
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fubar57
General
JB866 was built by English Electric and was in the second production batch, JB834 - JB875. I'll see if I can narrow it down in a while
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- #3
Hi Fubar57, this is very promising news, looking forward and thank for the speedy reply......
In "The Halifax File", there is a photo of JB911 on page 39, which is a Series I ( Special ), with triangle fins and interim metal nose covering, pending the availability of plexiglass nose. This is a later serial, so it can be reasonably assumed that JB866 definitely had triangle fins. The only question is whether is still had the front turret. That would make it a series I or series I ( Special ), but not a series Ia.
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- #6
Hi fubar57, Wurger and Wells, thank you for your reply. As Wurger stated from the record, Halifax JB866 was not a GR but a B (Bomber) produced by English Electric. As me not being a 'specialist' I am a bit confused by this. Is it possible to provide me with the correct Slihouet which can be used for the memorial?
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- #7
After some searching I found these two pictures, Which one has the same appearance as JB866?
Attachments
Humm.. the first shot can be as it is the B Mk.II Series IA. But the second one is for the Mk.II Series I ( Special ) while it should be the B Mk.II Series I , IMHO.
So either the one ...
B.Mk.II Series I
the pic source: File:Handley Page Halifax Mk II Series 1 of No. 10 Squadron RAF based at Leeming, Yorkshire, 12 December 1941. CH4435.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
or that one...
B Mk.II Series IA
the pic source: 25th August 1943: A letter from a Bomber Command Group Captain
So either the one ...
B.Mk.II Series I
the pic source: File:Handley Page Halifax Mk II Series 1 of No. 10 Squadron RAF based at Leeming, Yorkshire, 12 December 1941. CH4435.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
or that one...
B Mk.II Series IA
the pic source: 25th August 1943: A letter from a Bomber Command Group Captain
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
This might help for profiles - from the Squadron Signal Halifax book.
Yep.. also the no.408 Squadron RCAF used the Halifax B Mk.II from December 1942 to October 1943. Because the assembling of the B Mk.II started at the September of the 1941. And the JB*** serials were for the second or third batch of Halifax bombers in the EECo factory , we can assume the JB866 belonged to the early series of the Mk.II planes rather.
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- #11
Hi Wurger, if I look at the Squadron Signal Halifax Book posted by Airframes, it narrows it down to 3 possibilities, if I am right, B Mk. II series I, B Mk. II series I (Special), B Mk. II series IA. JB866 being which of the three?
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- #12
Hi Airframes, thank for your help. But still don't know which profile of the three matches JB866.....
I'm still trying to find any picture of the JB*** block Halifax but nothing so far. I have found a couple of shots of the JD*** block and all of them look like the B MK.II Series IA with triangle shaped tails.
Here is the : Handley Page Halifax Mark II Series1A, JD206 'DY-T' of No. 102 Squadron RAF. The squadron used also the JB block Halifax bombers (JB864 with code DY_B and JB869 code DY_H )
the pic source: File:102 Squadron Halifax at RAF Pocklington WWII IWM CH 10776.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
fubar57
General
I still have a few books to go through but I am inclined to agree with Wojtek(Wurger)
The 2nd picture is JB911, a series 1 special. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that JB866 had a glass nose. I'll look through Merrick's book and see if there's anything else.
You may be right. I have changed the criteria for searching and found that the JB9** block was the B Mk.II Series I with the Tollerton Aircraft Services Z-type nose Here two shots of the JB908 and JB910 ...
JB908
the pic source: 77 Sqdn Aircraft
JB910
the pics source: chaddy's Content - Britmodeller.com
But also I found the JB781 that was the first of the JB block made by the EECo factory.
the pic source: Oor Wullie
Undoubtedly she had the Z-type nose. It really may indicate that the entire JB*** block assembled by the EECo factory was the B Mk.II Series I with the solid nose similar to the DT*** block that was the earlier batch of Halifax bombers made by the EECo. Below there is the DT807.
the pic source: 77 Sqdn Aircraft
JB908
the pic source: 77 Sqdn Aircraft
JB910
the pics source: chaddy's Content - Britmodeller.com
But also I found the JB781 that was the first of the JB block made by the EECo factory.
the pic source: Oor Wullie
Undoubtedly she had the Z-type nose. It really may indicate that the entire JB*** block assembled by the EECo factory was the B Mk.II Series I with the solid nose similar to the DT*** block that was the earlier batch of Halifax bombers made by the EECo. Below there is the DT807.
the pic source: 77 Sqdn Aircraft
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Looking at Merrick's book, albeit briefly, and my other references, it seems to be fairly sure that the subject aircraft would have the 'Z' nose, and triangular fins, the later, rectangular fins and broader rudder still being tested, and fitted to later production batches.
Whether this particular aircraft had the H2s blister is not known, but my guess is that it wasn't fitted.
Whether this particular aircraft had the H2s blister is not known, but my guess is that it wasn't fitted.
Crimea_River
Marshal
I think our friend will still need help selecting a profile.
