Thanks so much, guys, for the link and posting of pix.
I'm planning a
4th FG Spitfire painting for NEXT year's American Society of Aviation Artist's (ASAA) juried exhibition. It will feature (I'm only at the thumbnail/sketchbook stage at present - great way to plan work without stepping on the toes of current projects) the currently flying AB910, a Vb. As you may know, 910 is credited with a destroyed and a damaged over Dieppe with 133 (Eagle) Squadron.
I only lack two (so far) major areas in my research -
please pass these questions of mine along to your Spitfire geek friends:
1. Did AB910 stay with 133 ES in time to make the transition to USAAF control and wear "stars"? My piece will highlight the early Oct 1942 period, immediately after the three Eagle Squadrons became the 4th FG.
2. While AB910 was with 133 ES, and maybe with the 4th, what were it's individual letter code(s)? MD-? (The 4th FG's QP-WD-VF codes were not used by their Spitfires and it wasn't until the P-47s came on line in March 43 that the codes were applied to 4FG aircraft). I have a book with AB910 in much later years with MD-
E, IIRC, painted on her sides and lacking other evidence, I'll go with that. The other kites in my painting will be chosen from available refs of MD-coded Spits.
I have copies of the 133 ES operational record book coming to me, and the pages I've seen so far confirm, FYI, that Don Gentile did indeed fly AB910 as advertised in at least one book I've seen. No doubt ... but that's not the point of my painting.
I pretty much have the other 'facts' straight, but help with the above two would be super!
Wade