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UK2 ER219 Supermarine Spitfire to US Shaibah.jpg
On Wed, 1 May 2013 14:50:52 +0100, Ramsman wrote
(in article ): Morgan & Shacklady's Spitfire The History gives basic details of every aircraft. ER219 is not shown as going to the USAAF, but was struck off charge on 30-4-43. I think it's probable that these stars are Operation Torch markings, although that was from 8-11-42. But why Shaibah in that case, unless that's where aircraft were scrapped? Sorry I didn't make it clear enough in my post but the Spitfires were crated up in N Africa, shipped to Iraq and re-assembled in Shaibah (and possibly elsewhere). They were then flown over the border to Iran where they were collected by the Soviet Air Force. The March '43 date you quote corresponds to the timing in the Russian URL I listed. |
#12
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UK2 ER219 Supermarine Spitfire to US Shaibah.jpg
Thanks very much to you all for the information, I didn't know that the spits that
went to Russia went via Iraq / Iran. I have learnt much this morning, thanks again. -- Jeff Cochrane - VK4XA East Innisfail QLD, Australia "Netko" wrote in message ... On Wed, 1 May 2013 14:50:52 +0100, Ramsman wrote (in article ): Morgan & Shacklady's Spitfire The History gives basic details of every aircraft. ER219 is not shown as going to the USAAF, but was struck off charge on 30-4-43. I think it's probable that these stars are Operation Torch markings, although that was from 8-11-42. But why Shaibah in that case, unless that's where aircraft were scrapped? Sorry I didn't make it clear enough in my post but the Spitfires were crated up in N Africa, shipped to Iraq and re-assembled in Shaibah (and possibly elsewhere). They were then flown over the border to Iran where they were collected by the Soviet Air Force. The March '43 date you quote corresponds to the timing in the Russian URL I listed. |
#13
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UK2 ER219 Supermarine Spitfire to US Shaibah.jpg
On 01/05/2013 19:28, Netko wrote:
On Wed, 1 May 2013 14:50:52 +0100, Ramsman wrote (in article ): Morgan & Shacklady's Spitfire The History gives basic details of every aircraft. ER219 is not shown as going to the USAAF, but was struck off charge on 30-4-43. I think it's probable that these stars are Operation Torch markings, although that was from 8-11-42. But why Shaibah in that case, unless that's where aircraft were scrapped? Sorry I didn't make it clear enough in my post but the Spitfires were crated up in N Africa, shipped to Iraq and re-assembled in Shaibah (and possibly elsewhere). They were then flown over the border to Iran where they were collected by the Soviet Air Force. The March '43 date you quote corresponds to the timing in the Russian URL I listed. The data in the book are taken from RAF Form 78, which lists the movement of an aircraft from unit to unit, and had ER219 been transferred to another air force it would have been shown as such on the form. There are lists of all aircraft transferred to other air forces, and ER219 does not appear as going to either the USAAF or the USSR, so I think we can assume that it never left the RAF. -- Peter |
#14
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UK2 ER219 Supermarine Spitfire to US Shaibah.jpg - Abadan.jpg (1/1) [195K]
On Wed, 1 May 2013 23:48:38 +0100, Ramsman wrote
(in article ): There are lists of all aircraft transferred to other air forces, and ER219 does not appear as going to either the USAAF or the USSR, so I think we can assume that it never left the RAF. Fair enough, but I was trying to work out how a batch of Spitfires, carrying what appear to be Torch stars, ended up in Iraq. The answer 'Transfer to the Soviet Union' fits all the known facts. As for ER219 itself, this may have been one of those Spitfires which Zlobin notes as having been destroyed en route to the handover in Abadan, assuming, of course, that it hadn't previously met its end (for whatever reason) at Shaibah. Finally, here's a photo inherited by the USAF which shows Abadan in Persia with a bunch of rebranded A-20s, P-40s and AT-6s. Probably 1943. |
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UK2 ER219 Supermarine Spitfire to US Shaibah.jpg - Abadan.jpg(1/1) [195K]
On 02/05/2013 14:39, Netko wrote:
On Wed, 1 May 2013 23:48:38 +0100, Ramsman wrote (in article ): There are lists of all aircraft transferred to other air forces, and ER219 does not appear as going to either the USAAF or the USSR, so I think we can assume that it never left the RAF. Unfortunately no unit is shown as operating ER219, beyond its being in North-West Africa. Fair enough, but I was trying to work out how a batch of Spitfires, carrying what appear to be Torch stars, ended up in Iraq. The answer 'Transfer to the Soviet Union' fits all the known facts. As for ER219 itself, this may have been one of those Spitfires which Zlobin notes as having been destroyed en route to the handover in Abadan, assuming, of course, that it hadn't previously met its end (for whatever reason) at Shaibah. Finally, here's a photo inherited by the USAF which shows Abadan in Persia with a bunch of rebranded A-20s, P-40s and AT-6s. Probably 1943. It's a pity the quality of the photo is too poor to read other serials, as knowing them might lead to further information. -- Peter |
#16
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UK2 ER219 Supermarine Spitfire to US Shaibah.jpg - Abadan.jpg (1/1) [195K]
On Thu, 2 May 2013 15:40:15 +0100, Ramsman wrote
(in article ): It's a pity the quality of the photo is too poor to read other serials, as knowing them might lead to further information. Agreed. Incidentally, adding to the (dis)information about ER219, Google tells me that Ventura Publications, a New Zealand company, used to produce a set of decals for this aircraft which described it as a USAAF machine. Also, the IWM catalogue mentions a film which adds a new twist to the story of Spitfires at Shaibah in early 1943. According to this, the Spitfires (some? all?) were not a straightforward transfer from the RAF to the Soviet AF, instead being a swap for US A-20s intended for the USSR. The description reads: "British Spitfires being checked in a RAF workshop at Shaibah, Iraq before being sent to Russia (in exchange for forty Boston Bombers diverted from Iran to Egypt while en route to Russia)". Finally, the film has a scene in which an "RAF Bullseye is sprayed over and a Red Star stencilled in its place". I haven't seen the film (it's not available on-line) so this may be an accurate account but it may just represent an assumption about what the red star was replacing. http://m.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060034712 |
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