P-51 Mustang III of the Polish 306 Squadron ...

[Wurger]

View: https://youtu.be/1JS5oxqV-Kg

A note ... the first seen Mustang III is of No. 129 Squadron RAF. The code seems to be the DV-H. The 306 Polish Squadron code was UZ.

 

[rochie]

great video, some rather tatty D-Day stripes on show too !

 

[Wurger]

Yep .. they applied the D-day strips with the block paintbrush or broomstick.

 

[rochie]

they make the masking on my models look a lot more realistic

 

[Wurger]

 

[hal bregg]

Note Polish 306 sqn. (coded UZ) Mustangs do not have Polish red/white checkers under exhausts in the video . Strange, they usually had them...

 

[Wurger]

Note Polish 306 sqn. (coded UZ) Mustangs do not have Polish red/white checkers under exhausts in the video . Strange, they usually had them...

That's true but no rule though. The 306 squadron received the Mustang IIIs at the end of the March 1944. So it seems that they didn't applied the PAF checker untill the June 1944 at least. Later the marking can be found. See the images. The left one coded UZ-V doesn't have the square. The pic is dated just on the June 1944. The full D-day markings can be noticed. And the left one of the UZ-U code has it applied. The image isn't dated but the D-day strips were already removed from tops. So the pic had to be taken later. Also it is possible the UZ-U kite could have been transferred from another Polish squadron and the PAF checker already was there applied.
Anyway the third shot below dated September 1945 of the UZ-D shows no PAF square there again.

the source: the net.

And two shots more .. the left UZ-L in April 1944 and the right P-51 UZ-W in 1945. The UZ-L seems to be the same that can be seen in the footage taxing as the first plane of the 306 squadron.

the source: the net.

To sume up ... it seems that the newly received Mustang IIIs could stay without the PAF checker for some of time. The image of the UZ-L taken in April 1944 soon after the squadron was rearmed with P-51s shows that clearly. So even in June 1944 these kites didn't have the markings. I have seen a couple of shots of the 316 squadron Mustangs dated on 1945 and those also didn't have the squares applied even then. Certaily it might have been the censorship for some reason.

 

[Wurger]

Additionally the image of the landing P-51 UZ-U with the full D-day markings. So again the June 1944 or a little bit later. Unfortunately because of the angle the shot was taken with it is not possible to say if the PAF checker was there or not. IMHO there wasn't.

the source: the net.