Spitfire Mk. VIII, Serial unknown HL-K
308th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, 15th Air Force, USAAF.
Pilot - CO of 308th FS. Flown by Lt. Leland P. Molland. Castel
Volturno, Italy. February, 1944.
Molland was a 10.5 victory ace, 5 of those while flying the
Spitfire. Finished in Dark Earth and Middle Stone over Azure Blue.
All demarcations are tightly hand sprayed. Finish is worn and matt,
with moderate exhaust staining and heavy wear on the wingroots. Note
the yellow stripes on the outer wings. Spinner red. Blades black
with 4” yellow tips. Wheel hubs Dark Earth or possibly dirty
Aluminum.
Spitfire MK. VIII, MT982 UM-C
152 Squadron RAF. SEAC. Flown by Warrant Officer Eric Clegg.
Sinthe Airstrip, Burma, 1945
152 Sqdn alternated between ground support missions and escorting
transports in Burma. Finished in Dark Green and Dark Earth tight
soft-edged uppersurface camo over Medium Sea Grey. Spinner in white
with yellow tipped black prop blades. White theatre bands on wing,
stabilizers and fin.
Spitfire Mk. VIII, A58-517 (RAF serial MT594) UP-F
79 Squadron RAAF. Flown by Flt. Lt. Norman Turnbull (surname legally
changed in August to Smithells).
Based at Morotai, Indonesia. Late Spring, 1945.
Finished in a factory painted scheme of Dark Green and Ocean Grey
over Medium Sea Grey. Shown before incorrectly in other upper
surface camo colors. Note tail unit and wing leading edges painted
in very worn white paint. Pilot stated that the Elephant was painted
grey. Yellow leading edges showing through the badly chipped paint.
Standard roundels overpainted in camo colors. Spinner in light blue,
not green. Note Sky band completely painted out in OG.
Spitfire Mk. VIII, JF476 QJ-D 92 Squadron RAF. Desert Air Force.
Pilot unknown.
Based at Taranto, Italy. September, 1943.
Finished in Dark Earth and Middle Stone over Azure Blue. All
demarcations are tightly hand sprayed. Finish is relatively clean,
with light exhaust staining and some wear on the wingroots. Note no
yellow leading edge stripes on wings. Spinner red. Blades black with
4” yellow tips. Wheel hubs probably Azure or Dark Earth.
Spitfire Mk. VIII, JF835 UM-T
152 Squadron RAF. SEAC. Flown by Flying Officer Paul “Gus” Ardeline.
Sinthe Airstrip, Burma, 1945
Ardeline, a Canadian, shot down a Dinah on 24th September 1944 while
flying this aircraft. Finished in a Dark Green and Dark Earth tight
soft-edged uppersurface camo over Medium Sea Grey. Spinner in white
with yellow tipped black prop blades. Note green maple leaf on
fuselage roundels and lack of white theatre bands. Very heavily
weathered with prominent lead deposit staining from exhausts.
Spitfire Mk. VIII, JG183 RD-S
67 Sqdn. RAF. Flown by Flying Officer C.V. Bargh.
Based at Alipore, India. February 29, 1944
Bargh, a new Zealander, had three confirmed victories and two
damaged to his credit. JG183 was finished in Dark Earth and Dark
Green in a tight soft-edged camouflage pattern over Medium Sea Grey.
Note no yellow wing leading edges or rear fuselage band. Spinner
Dark Earth. Blades black with 4” yellow tips. Wheel hubs aluminum.
Looks well maintained in the only known photo.