YB-A Spitfire

[jimstallard]

Hello all,
Anyone know how I go about finding the history of one aircraft - a Mark XIVe Spitfire of 17th Squadron, YB-A (RN135) known to have been flown by Squadron Leader James Harry "Ginger" Lacey DFM (1917-1989) Battle of Britain hero.
My father was a LAC (Airframes) working on this kite from about 1943 to 1947, I'd like to find out when he and it were in the same places, (India, Burma, Ceylon, Singapore and Japan)

I think he was with 7132SE but I'm still waiting on info from the RAF about his service record to confirm this.

There's a YB-A Spit still flying, but it has the serial SM832 - it maybe the same bird, but how do I find out?

Thanks for your help

Jim Stallard

 

[Crimea_River]

RN135 was struck off charge 24 March 1948. Info here: Spitfire - Main

RN135 XIV KEA G65 6MU 8-1-45 222MU 5-2-45 Empire Paragon 12-2-45 India 12-4-45 17S Japan 28-9-46 SOC 24-3-48

 

[jimstallard]

Fab! Thanks very much!

Jim

 

[meatloaf109]

Wow!
You guys are really serious about those Spits!

 

[fubar57]

That's a great site Paul. I use it a lot to check out RCAF spitfires.

Geo

 

[stona]

There's some discussion here.

Ginger Lacey's Spitfire XIV RN135 - WWII - Britmodeller.com

Cheers

Steve

 

[jimstallard]

Thanks Steve.
Everything helps!

Jim

 

[Airframes]

Interesting point mentioned in the Britmodeller discussion, concerning the colour scheme.
I asked 'Ginger' specifically about the colour of his aircraft, back in the early 1980s, when he told me it was 'green and brown', in other words Dark Green and Dark Earth. As mentioned in the Britmodeller discussion, this might have been faulty memory, but the question was asked only 38 years after the event - not 70 years later, and James was definite in his reply to me.
This is in line with the practice at the time, when aircraft arrived in India crated, still in the (European) Day Fighter scheme of Dark Green/Ocean Grey, the MkXIVs normally having black spinners, possibly as they may have been originally destined for 2 TAF.
As with the earlier MkV's and MkVIII's, the Ocean Grey was over-sprayed with Dark Earth at the MU in India, leaving the under sides in Medium Sea Grey, before the aircraft were delivered to squadrons.
The restored MkXIV mentioned, and at one time the BBMF's PR19, were also painted in this colour scheme.
As the war moved towards Japan, aircraft arriving in theatre were left in the colours they were delivered in, which, apart from being more suited to the terrain, saved time and effort on re-spraying, a job which, by this time, was deemed unnecessary.
Hope this helps.