Back2TheBike
Airman
- 19
- Oct 21, 2024
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Most probably the squadron badge.That's really helpful, thank you.
His service record places him with 83 Sqn and anecdotally I believe he was at Coningsby.
Just need to puzzle out those strange insignia now!
Best regards
Neil
Ah, seems logical. I knew he repatriated troops from the North Africa campaign via Bari, Italy, so did wonder if this was the aircraft, guns removed to lighten it.The strange insignia isn't the odd at all. I agree with EwenS. It is a kind of an unofficial badge ( possible not finished yet). Here is a similar one used by no.50 Squadron.
View attachment 802414
and the official of both squadrons ...
View attachment 802416
the source: the net.
Ah, seems logical. I knew he repatriated troops from the North Africa campaign via Bari, Italy, so did wonder if this was the aircraft, guns removed to lighten it.
Makes sense. The original image is a 3" x 2". I've just had a play in Photoshop (adjusted the lighting curve, high pass filter/hardlight) and got this. Seems to fit your theory.The pics you posted aren't the greatest copies but if the badge is enlarged and you have a close up look at the inner part of the emblem can be noticed. IMHO that's the "deer horn" seen in the official crest. However it is inverted. The brown colour is possible so it is almost unnoticeable in the pics.
View attachment 802434
View attachment 802431
View attachment 802433
At least they can't blame dadAnd that's the same I found via the net sources.
Just also found this ...
06/07/1945, Lancaster, PB376, 97sqn, Coningsby. This aircraft was damaged at 0015hrs on take-off for a fighter affiliation sortie. The aircraft swung slightly to port, the pilot over-corrected and the aircraft swung to starboard. The undercarriage was strained in this incident. Pilot F/O W Laycock and crew were uninjured.
View attachment 802440
the source: the net.
No.97 (Straits Settlements) Squadron
Coningsby
13 February 1945
ATTACK ON DRESDEN
Lancaster III "S" PB376 F/O T W Noon
Time Up 18.24 Time Down 03.18
Load 12 x C.P. No.1
5 x R/P Flares Green/Red
8–9/10ths cloud, slight breaks. Target identified on H2S.
Dropped flares blind as briefed. Green T.I. a little early. One
Red T.I. cascaded at about 8,000ft, before P.B.M. went down.
Controller told LINK 1 to tell Main Force to come below
medium cloud at 15,000ft and bomb Red T.I. glow according
to plan. One stick of bombs apparently went wide.
No.97 Squadron
Lancaster III PB376 F/O E Yaxley 18.12 00.34
Target located on H2S. Emergency Wave not required. Went straight through
and bombed as briefed. One terrific explosion in the target area at 21.58½
hrs
Based on his Service Record it is March-July 1946, thus Coningsby. No record or anecdotal evidence he went to Wroughton (a place ironically I regularly zip through on my Ducati ...)I would say ... the three pics were taken in the late summer 1945 or in 1946