'O2' - Squadron Code of crashed British fighter?

Any idea what the Squadron code is for this crashed fighter? It's was taken by Americans.

 

I’ve had a look through Flintham & Thomas “Combat Codes” and don’t see O2 as having been issued to either the RAF or the USAAF.

Looking at it more closely is it O2 or 02? The aircraft looks like a Spitfire.

One thought might be an aircraft from US Navy squadron VCS-7 before D-Day. That squadron used Spitfire Vs between May and July 1944 alongside RN Seafire squadrons for gunfire spotting for its warships as their OS2U Kingfishers were deemed too vulnerable. They used 2 digit codes. Once the D-Day stripes went on the codes were forward of the cockpit.

Scan down this page to find an example.
America’s Spitfires

 

But without C roundels - Just US stars or C1 roundels

 

AFAIK they wore standard British colours and markings as in the photo on the linked page, and reverted to British control after July.

 

The linked photo shows the standard C1 roundel and not the standard C roundel which was only applied to light colours. The one in the crash photo has a C roundel

 

Look closer. There is another ring round the outside of what you are seeing making it a C1.

I’m now doubting it being VCS-7. Their aircraft seem to have been coded 4 with a following letter

 

No there isn't if you look stare hard enough at any image of a roundel the brain creats an optical illusion of a grey outer ring but if you move your head (or the screen) you'll see it doesn't remain constant. Look at all the photos.

 

Well we will have to agree to disagree. One thing I learnt a long time ago is that you can’t accurately determine colour from WW2 black & white photos.

 

Is there any rough or accurate date the photo was taken?

Is it from ETO or MTO or elsewhere?

Might it be a Fleet Air Arm Seafire?

 

Bob there is an outer ring

 

Think you might be on to something. I’m going to do some digging into 885 or 886 Squadron info to see if anything comes up as a possibility.

 

Okay done some more research, looking at a couple of Seafire books I have and Ray Sturtivant's books of FAA Squadrons and Aircraft. I'm 99% positive this is a FAA aircraft. The letter/number marking sequence is one that was adopted by the FAA in the later war years. However the problem with this is it was for individual aircraft so doesn't help with squadron ID. FAA markings are kind of a mystery, some squadron numbers, some just individual numbers, sometimes both, particularly later on.

Without any further information on location or even date of the pictures I don't think much more can be done.

Perhaps someone else can go further than I can.

 

I know nothing about RAF roundels.

I merely opened one of the images - below - and glimpsed at it (not staring to create an optical illusion ) and can immediately see an outer ring.

 

Does not look like a 'crash' site. Wings and most of the cockpit are gone.

 

Not really an area I know so not sure if this helps, I had a look "Pappy's War Capers" and he only has one side on photo of an 885 plane and it has 2H just to the front of the cockpit rather than the rear, so if tis was standard for 885 it may mean they can be ruled out

 

Thanks for replies and help. I found these photographs on ebay, was curious about the code but couldn't place it.

Original WWII Photo Crashed British Fighter Plane Aircraft US Soldiers Posing | eBay