Aircraft that never wore invasion stripes ...

muddyboots · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:01 am

JDK wrote:

The tail stripes on that Lanc are markings for special devices - nav, bomb leader or similar IIRC. Nothing to do with D Day.
.

k5083 wrote:

Muddyboots, those are not invasion stripes on the Lancaster. I'm not aware of any Lancs that had them.
. Blenheim, Beaufort?

JDK is right, it's an easy question to answer if you simply state the criterion. But if this thread has any value beyond killing time, it can open some eyes as to the variety of types that participated.

August

The gentleman who put that pic on the internet was a member of the crew in the foreground. He described them as invasion stripes. Until someone can prove otherwise, I'd rather trust the man who was there:)

Quote:

Another picture of the crew in front of OJ-T. I cannot recall any of the other aircraft on the squadron having any nose art. I have found that this Lancaster was built at Whitley, Coventry and carried the serial number NG299. it was delivered to 622 Squadron some time between July 1944 and February 1945. Its serial number can just be seen under the port wing in the top picture above . It would seem that this aircraft was in service before D Day, as it still has the invasion stripes on the rudders. It was transferred to 207 Squadron on 2nd March 1946. (207 Squadron was also with us at Methwold.) At some time NG299 was transferred again, this time to 90 Squadron. It was finally Struck Of Charge on 16th October 1947. This means it was sent to a Maintenance Unit where it would have been scrapped.

http://www.mayston.com/original_lancaster_oj-t.htm

Boy, there sure were a whole lot of bomb leaders in that section. I guess they were promoting them faster than they could get in the air, since the stripes were made with a paintbrush :roll:

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:10 am

muddyboots wrote:

The gentleman who put that pic on the internet was a member of the crew in the foreground. He described them as invasion stripes. Until someone can prove otherwise, I'd rather trust the man who was there:)

He may have been there, but he's wrong - and he won't be the first guy to mis-remember something from 60 years or so ago. (Not the first veteran to tell me something I know isn't true or possible, with the most honest of intentions...) Frankly I can't remember what I did yesterday at times.

I'll check and come back with what they were...

muddyboots · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:12 am

Look again, james. That's THREE aircraft with the same markings... :wink:

Maybe they were unit markings like the American's had. THey're certainly distinct enough to be seen from a distance...

if you look closely, there seems to be a fourth.

PeterA · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:30 am

http://www.contact550.theraf.co.uk/photogallery.htm

muddyboots · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:41 am

cough cough invasion stripes cough cough

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:46 am

Can we keep the posts in order, rather that editing previous posts with comments for subsequent ones? My head hurts.

Peter A's post is, I presume, a Lancaster with D Day stripes - thanks Peter. I'll see you later.

It's NOT the same markings carried by the Lancs in Muddy's posts; which are clean edged, and, IIRC will be red or yellow colour - when I've checked. They're also the wrong width. (But then they shouldn't be on the tail, as in Peter's post and on the A-20s.)

The one with the underwing serial is postwar - they were not carried during the war, as far as I'm aware.

I didn't say they were bombing leaders, but provided a couple of vague memories and '...or similar'.

I'll find the reference, once Muddy's placed a $20 to say I'm wrong regarding his original and second photo for WIX donation. I'll cover it.

Where are the stripes?

$20 says these aren't invasion stripes.

Cheers,

PeterA · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:56 am

Sorry James I couldn't resist it.

The shot I posted is a Lanc from 550 Squadron. This squadron was involved with bringing prisoners of war back to the UK from Germany.

I am wondering if these ID stripes were to ward off friendly fire for low flying Lancasters over Germany in daylight and out of their normal environment.

PeterA

muddyboots · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 9:58 am

there is a little dab of white just above the natinoal flag on the port rudder. You can barely see it poking out.

cough cough invasion stripes cough cough

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:01 am

muddyboots wrote:

there is a little dab of white just above the natinoal flag on the port rudder. You can barely see it poking out.

cough cough invasion stripes cough cough

Above the fin flash, you mean? :lol:

The British 'National Flag' is the Union Flag, usually called the Union Jack. :shock:

Keep on coffin'. I want to see your 20 before I go and check my references in another room...

Peter, you are a bad boy.

muddyboots · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:03 am

Quote:

These photographs were taken with an old pre-war Kodak Brownie box camera. The film, which was not obtainable in shops in wartime, was obtained from the photographic department, who cut up spare pieces of film from the enormous aerial cameras we carried for our mapping exercises over Europe.

he seems quite lucid to me.

Quote:

Another picture of the crew in front of OJ-T. I cannot recall any of the other aircraft on the squadron having any nose art. I have found that this Lancaster was built at Whitley, Coventry and carried the serial number NG299. it was delivered to 622 Squadron some time between July 1944 and February 1945. Its serial number can just be seen under the port wing in the top picture above . It would seem that this aircraft was in service before D Day, as it still has the invasion stripes on the rudders. It was transferred to 207 Squadron on 2nd March 1946. (207 Squadron was also with us at Methwold.) At some time NG299 was transferred again, this time to 90 Squadron. It was finally Struck Of Charge on 16th October 1947. This means it was sent to a Maintenance Unit where it would have been scrapped.

however he may simply not have known what those stripes were. I'm betting they WERE white, which would be why he is confused about them. He wasn't around for DDay...

Quote:

I trained on Lancasters and joined No.149 Squadron at Methwold, Norfolk, in 1945, but the dropping of the atom bomb saved us from going to the Far East.

muddyboots · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:06 am

go check, you lazy barstard!

dhfan · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:18 am

Re the picture of the Lanc with a striped tailplane. 550 Squadron were also involved with Operation Manna. Although I've never heard of any markings for it, would it be more likely than for repatriating POWs?

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:26 am

muddyboots wrote:

go check, you lazy barstard!

Oh, that was hard. Off the stool, front room, scanner, oohhh...

RAF Bombers Pt1, Green & Swanborough, Macdonald & Janes, 1979.

Kerrching!

k5083 · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:30 am

On the Lancs: The two horizontal stripes on the tail were yellow and were applied to most Lancs carrying Gee-H radar.

Peter's pic is very interesting, but as he suggests, those are not likely invasion stripes.

On the Storch: James, I saw on the internet something were it said that Stalin was presented with a Storch and was so impressed that he ordered copies of it put into production (known variously as the Antonov OKA-38, N-2, or Shs). It was on the web so it must be true.

Even if it is, it does not mean he flew in it.

August

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:33 am

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/album/ ... t=&si=B-24

Quote:

Shown here are two Lancaster B.Mk.I/IIIs of No.15 Sqd. Note the one bearing the special yellow tail markings indentifies it as a G-H equipped aircraft. From October 1944 they were used as formation leaders in massed daylight raids.

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Aircraft that never wore invasion stripes ...

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