No. 74 Squadron RAF, the "Tiger Squadron".. (1 Viewer)

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I bet ANY money, that the RAF was thinking when they came up with idea to these blasted underwing codes, "let us make life a misery for future modellers chaps!"

DSCF0005-37.jpg
 
A real (beep) (beep) in the (beep) (beep) to say the (beep) least old boy! Next time I'll try another method, for now, I'll blame wear and tear....

Hmmm.....maybe blutack?
 
Well old chap, they're Spitfire MkIIA's, and judging by the colour schemes and the weather, I'd think it would be circa summer, 1941. The problem is, 74 Sqn used ZP as the Squadron codes during that period and, far as I'm aware, never used any codes with a 'L' configuration. So, the aircraft are either from a different squadron, with the second code letter obliterated under the orders of the censor (possibly 'LO', 602 Sqn, Aux AF, or 'KL', 54 Sqn.), or a temporary marking for whatever reason. Might even be a OTU or OCU, and the Life magazine people have used the pics, thinking, or having been told, that it's 74 Sqn?
 
Sounds like 'Life' magazine used what they were allowed, or told, to use, and built their story around that. The photographs were probably taken at a OCU/OTU, and they actually look partly posed. You know the sort of thing "Our reporter brings you the story from the front line, with the RAF's seventy fourth squadron, and here they are preparing for yet another mission during the Battle...." and all that b*ll*cks!!
Great pics though, and full of useful detail - the ammo cans, trolley Ac etc etc.
 
Just saw that the 74 Squadron had a few well known aces....

WWI,

Edward "Mick" Mannock
James Ira "Taffy" Jones
Keith "Grid" Caldwell


WWII,

Adolph "Sailor" Malan
John Colin Mungo-Park
Harbourne Mackay Stephen
Wilfred Malcolm Skinner
John Connell Freeborn
Bryan Vincent Draper
Henry Collingham Baker
Willian Henry Nelson
John King "Jock" Norwell


Makes you want to do Mannock's S.E.5a and Malan's Spitfire....
 

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