Fleet Air Arm Help needed!

[Wrench]

trying to find more information on FAA Seafires, in particular squadron markings. I know early ones only carried the plane-in-group letter, but later on, carried some sort of 2 digit designator for the ship and/or squadron, along with the individual letter.

 

most particular interest is Atlantic, Med, and BEIF. BPF stuff, in particular for the IIIC is pretty easy (just which carrier had what code, etc)

 

pointers, links, books on pdf, etc (already have the SSP Fleet Air Arm book)

 

thanks!!!

[ndicki]

Oh dear. I was hoping nobody would get that far.

 

Typical FAA and BPF markings in 1945 used a single letter to indicate the carrier, twin letters to indicate a shore base, plus a three digit number to indicate the aircraft.

 

BPF carriers I know are:

 

D5: HMS Hunter

 

N: HMS Implacable

P: HMS Victorious

Q: HMS Vengeance

S: HMS Indefatigable

T: HMS Theseus

W: HMS Indomitable

X: HMS Formidable

Y: HMS Glory

 

During Op. TORCH, HMS Formidable's Seafires (885 NAS) carried 06-? where / represents the individual letter. The codes were often carried as 0-6? on the starboard side of the aircraft. 888 NAS Martlets, also on HMS Formidable, carried 07-?. 

You'll find a few more codes at the bottom of this, but to be honest, you need to find pictorial references since the style of code did change at least twice, and not every carrier seems to have changed over at the same time.

http://www.k5083.mistral.co.uk/SQ_CODES.HTM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Pacific_Fleet#Fleet_Air_Arm_Squadrons

After that, you're on your own...

[dsawan]

https://www.google.com/search?q=seafire+markings&client=opera&hs=af7&channel=suggest&tbm=isch&source=iu&imgil=RtVQbFR9ACBD5M%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcS8isFKhdG3iXfuQsFK1RC6YSTPafMC23v013OP0nYVW9Ko6rFERw%253B400%253B458%253BqVM3TaAM0HLvYM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fmodelingmadness.com%25252Fscott%25252Fdecals%25252Faero%25252Fam48443.htm&sa=X&ei=hbbRUomzDo3lsATKyYDIDA&ved=0CC8Q9QEwAQ&biw=1680&bih=773#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=RtVQbFR9ACBD5M%253A%3BqVM3TaAM0HLvYM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmodelingmadness.com%252Fscott%252Fdecals%252Faero%252Fam48443a.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmodelingmadness.com%252Fscott%252Fdecals%252Faero%252Fam48443.htm%3B400%3B458

[Wrench]

thanks for the link dsawan, but those are mk.IIIcs. I need data on IIBs

 

nigel: of course it would be me ask right!!????

BPF is fairly easy, as I plan on resuing the decals from my mod of the old DAT Seafire IIIC, in BPF colors.

 

I know the BEIF used an SEAC style roundel, and white ID stripes, on the IIIC and I'm assuming (oh! that word!!) the IIb as well. Since most of the carriers in the 43-45 timeframe were CVEs, I've been able to run most of them down (name wise)

 

good thing the IIIC isn't ready yet!! Still needs more LOD work, but the IIB is. Just want to have a few more skins for it (oth, they'll be a mish-mash of MTO, ETO and hopefully!!! EIF

 

thanks!

[Ngr]

Maybe it help

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/72/9/0#15

[ndicki]

The only BEIF MkIIc I have is LR792 K of 834 NAS, on HMS Battler in June 1944. It's standard temperate sea scheme with black spinner, 16 inch Oxford and Cambridge roundels and 24 x 21 inch tailflash and a single code letter, a red K outlined in white. No white bars or any other recognition features. 

 

Another one based in Ceylon is LR755 of 834 NAS in March 1944, which is in the temperate sea scheme with white spinner, 16 inch white and Oxford blue roundels and 24 x 21 inch tail flash, and no further markings at all. 

Not much to go on, is it!