Hello from (what used to be) RAF Warmwell!

[CJWensleydale]

Hi all. I've just found this site and registered. I've recently moved to a village that stands on the site of an old RAF base and this has awakened a passion for all things 'planey', particularly aircraft that served here in RAF Warmwell. I'm a bit of an amateur artist and am working on a picture of a MkIIB 'Hurribomber' flying over Dorset, but am not sure which Sqn to make it. If anyone can give me a steer as to where to find info on markings (particulary individual aircraft registrations) for aircraft in either 175 or 402 Sqns, I would be most grateful...
Kind regards

CJWensleydale

Quis Separabit

 

[seesul]

Welcome aboard and greeting from the Czech Republic!

 

[Crimea_River]

Welcome, and I'm sure someone will be by shortly with suggestions. And I bet his name will be Terry.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

G'day CJ, welcome from the colonies and I've a feeling Andy has hit the mark but I'm not sure he is awake yet.................

 

[Airframes]

Been awake all day old boy, but only just got back from a hospital appointment.
Welcome from a fellow artist 'up North'. So 175 and 402 Squadrons eh?
The Hurricane MkIIBs flown by 175 Sqn were coded HH (as were their later Typhoons), and an example would be HH-T, serial number BE482. They had these between March 1942 and April 1943, when they converted to Typhoons.
402 Squadron, RCAF, were based at Warmwell from 6 November 1941 until 4 March 1942, when they moved to Colerne. Their Hurricane IIBs were coded AE, an example being AE-K, serial number BE417.
hope this helps. Cheers,
Terry.

 

[Gnomey]

Welcome.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Welcome aboard CJ.

 

[CJWensleydale]

Hello right back to you all and thanks Terry - that gives me something to go on. At the moment I reckon I'll go for a theme where the Hurricane belongs to 175 Sqn, flying over Maiden Castle perhaps. Would I be correct in saying that they where actually formed at Warmwell?

I must confess to being a little perturbed at this new found interest in aircraft, considering I spent most of my working life to date riding around on tanks - still, never too late eh?...

Quis Separabit

 

[Airframes]

Ah, a 'Tankie' - not your fault mate, someone had to do it ! (Being ex - Airborne, I'm sure you'll understand my humour !)
Leave it with me re 175 Sqn - just back from the pub so not quite switched on - I'll get some info posted for you soon, and if I can fined 'em, maybe some pics.
BTW, where you on Chieftains? I had an involvement with six of the beasts, three of which were brand new, out of the box, ex-Berlin Squadron, a few years back. Three were used as 'set dressing' on the Bond movie 'Golden Eye', modified to look like Soviet tanks.

 

[Njaco]

WElcome to the forum!! (suddenly a bit peckish for some cheese!)

 

[Airframes]

Cheese - it's a bit runny sir .......

 

[Njaco]

wow, forgot about that! I was thinking Wallace Gromit!

 

[Airframes]

Well, I was in the Public Library, studying Wallpole, when I suddenly came over all esurient .... what do you mean, you don't have Cheddar? It's the single most popular ............

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Welcome to the forum CJ! Threads get Hi-jacked often around here.

 

[Airframes]

Mmm! Colour pics for a model etc comes to mind!

 

[Thorlifter]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Airframes]

And back on Topic !
Yes, 175 Sqn were formed at Warmwell on 3 March 1942, taking over the Hurricane IIBs of 402 Sqn, RCAF, which had moved to Colerne.
175 were at Warmwell until 10 October, when they moved first to Gatwick, then Odiham in January 1943. There were a number of further moves, with the Squadron being at Westhampnett during the period I mentioned earlier, 9 October '43 to 24 February '44, then Eastchurch, back to Westhampnett, then Holmsley South from 1 April until moving to France on 20 June. By this time of course, they had converted to Typhoons.

 

[CJWensleydale]

Thanks for that - you are a mine of information! And yes I spent 6 years 274 days on Chieftain (I'm still traumatised) before moving on to Challenger and finishing (briefly) on Challenger 2.

Just one more thing if I may - the very few photos that I have seen of 402 Sqn Hurribombers at Warmwell had white (or light coloured) spinners. Was that the standard colour for that model at the time and thus would a 175 Sqn plane have the same? Sorry for all the bone questions on my first visit - just thought I'd milk the 'new-boy' status while I can still get away with it.

Glad to see my cheese-club name is having an impact though!..


Quis Separabit

 

[CJWensleydale]

Hi Njaco, ABW, Thorlifter et al - whats the weather like over there?

 

[Airframes]

The prop spinners were painted in 'Sky', as were the 18 inch wide ID bands around the tail. This was the standard Day Fighter scheme for all fighter aircraft, up until March 1945, when some minor changes were made. The overall colour scheme was Dark Green /Ocean Grey (or in some cases 'Mixed Grey') upper surfaces, with Medium Sea Grey undersides. The 175 Sqn Hurricanes would be in the same scheme.