Bluedharma wrote:
PeterA When was your black + white photo taken? 1950 or prior?
Paul Gordon
Paul,
The image was taken at 39 Maintenance Unit at RAF Colerne in 1949 and is published full frame in 'the book' and is adjacent to TE309.
Interestingly both aircraft appear, in this black and white image, to sport post war 'type D' RAF fuselage roundels, however when built they would have had 'type C1' roundels. The Mk 21 LA316, cropped out in the image, is still in C1 roundels
So with no service history and placed in long term storage, why were the roundels changed? One possibility is that both TE308 and TE309 were earmarked for sale to a Foreign Air Force. The source of the image, G. Kinghorn, at the time thought the Spitfires were in Egyptian markings! Although the roundels should have the small 'Stars and Crescent' in the centre of the roundel for the Egyptian Air Force, Supermarine were making a strong sales pitch to Egypt at this time. The Egyptians finally purchased the Mk 22...and the IX TRAINER.
So a cancelled/changed order to a Foriegn Air Force is a possibilty. TE308 was sold back to Vickers in 1950 for conversion to two seater for the Irish Air Corps and delivered in 1951, belly landing on its arrival delivery flght, image also in the book. TE309 was sold to the South African Air Force.
PeterA