Hurricane Info

[BorderWarrior]

Hi,

Whilst going through Grandads pictures I came across this Hurricane which had just flown into I believe, Aboukir from Takoradi.
Grandad used to say they reckoned so many came that way you could follow the white stripe across Africa!

I have tried to find out what happened to this aircraft but at least internet wise, I have drawn a blank on the A/C Number,this is Z558

Does anybody have any info on this, as to Mk, build details, history, etc?

Many thanks,
Steve

P.S. Apologies for size tried resizing it but failed!

 

[Airframes]

Judging by the style of fuselage roundel, I'd guess at a MkIIa - can't see any cannon bulges. The serial number is partly obscured by the shadow, and the fouth number could be a 6. So, possibly Z5586.

 

[Peebs]

Damn good eysight Terry, I copied the pic blew it up brightened it and still only see 558 and shadow! lol

 

[Airframes]

Yeah, it's very indistinct. But, it should be a letter and four digit serial, and there is something there, which looks like the top part of a figure 6.
EDIT: Actually, having looked at it again, it could be another 8.

 

[BorderWarrior]

Damn good eysight Terry, I copied the pic blew it up brightened it and still only see 558 and shadow! lol

Likewise Peebs! However I agree there should be another number there, just couldn't make it out through the shadow.

Yeah, it's very indistinct. But, it should be a letter and four digit serial, and there is something there, which looks like the top part of a figure 6.
EDIT: Actually, having looked at it again, it could be another 8.

Thanks Terry, Does a list exist anywhere of production pages, build sheets etc, where the number could be checked and possibly verified?

Regards,
Steve

 

[antoni]

Z5580-Z5629 were Mk IIbs

 

[Airframes]

Antoni has answered that part, which has narrowed things down. I've had a quick look, but haven't come up with anything else, such as squadron assignment. But, if just arrived from Ghana (Gold Coast then), it wouldn't neccessarily have been 'issued' at that point.
Just as an aside, I was on a jungle training exercise in Ghana back in 1971, and before moving 'up country', we were on an airfield, not far from Takoradi, which might have been one of the fields used for the ferry route.

 

[Njaco]

Found this on this site and the serial numbers are interesting..

Axis History Forum • View topic - Hurricanes in KNIL service

"The story of the Hurricanes erected in Batavia is somewhat more complicated. First of all, there were not only the 39 aircraft of the Athene, but also four aircraft (out of six transported on the vessel from Batavia to Singapore) that came back from Singapore on the Phrontis. Six more went to Singapore on the Derrymore and were also reloaded to be returned to Batavia, but the Derrymore was sunk. From the 43 aircraft erected in Batavia and at Kemajoran (the first seven or so erected in an impressed KNILM hangar by RAF personnel) six were flown to Palembang I on 10 February 1942 (always forgotten in publications), eight went to PI on 13 February and finally nine were ferried to PI on 14 February. Of the remaining 20 aircraft twelve went to the ML, one was damaged during a Japanese attack on Kemajoran on 9 February and cannibalized (later completed again and flown at Tjililitan) and the following seven went to 488 Squadron: BE332, Z5602, Z5616, Z5664, Z5682, Z5690 and Z5691 (according to logbook info). The Z5664 did not go to the ML (flown by P.D. Gifford 17 February with 488 Sq). To the ML went BE293 (there was one other BE-serialled ac, numbers unknown), BG677 and Z5609, and probably also Z5612, Z5619, Z5622 and Z5623.

Furthermore, all four Phrontis aircraft went to the ML (the final four aircraft completed by the erection team on 15 February) which came from the following batch of 12 aircraft transported from Batavia to Singapore on the Phrontis and the Derrymore: Z5557, Z5580, Z5581, Z5582, Z5583, Z5584, Z5590, Z5598, Z5601, Z5611, Z5615 and Z5620 (according to shipping records).

Bold is my addition.