I need help to ID this photo i have of a shot down RAF plane. Could it be a Spitfire ? info on back of photo in German, it might say Dunkirk ? on the back Thanks for any help. Keith
It's a Spitfire. The reflector sight mount is the giveaway. Spitfire cockpit: For comparison Battle cockpit:
The presence of the IFF destruct switches (marked DANGER) suggests Jan 1940 or later if my information is correct.
Shot down spitfire Dunkirk area. I found the same photo for sale on epay with this info on the back. [ English fighter shot down on June 27, 1941 Crash landing, pilot recovered, interior view 8 rounds in On-board cannon ]. So it gives us a date and my photo info gives the area it was shot down, just need to find out the plane unit and pilot ID.
With the information provided it could be a Spitfire Mark V of No 74 Squadron out of Gravesend on a sweep of Northern France, one of two No 74 Squadron Mark Vs lost that day which the pilots became POWs. From that it could be W 3210 flown by P/O W J Sandman who was lost on a late evening sweep, being shotdown by a Me 109.The Spitfire would be a Vb version which had 2 cannons plus 4 x MGs while the Va version was equipped with 8 x MGs, the same as the Spitfire Mark 11s which were also lost on that day. This was the time when FC went on the offensive over Northern France and introduced the Mark V to equip its day fighter squadrons.
English fighter shot down by Messerschmitt, belly landing, pilot recovered Interior view, 8 M.G. Onboard gun
Since the inscription on the photo writes of 8 MG and pilot recovered instead of captured, I think this machine is more probable: Spitfire MkIIa RAF 19Sqn QVU P7379 sd by Bf 109 and PO Andrews KIA 27th Jun 1941 02
Recherche de France-Crashes 39-45 Recherche de France-Crashes 39-45 Recherche de France-Crashes 39-45 Recherche de France-Crashes 39-45 Recherche de France-Crashes 39-45 Spitfires (mark unknown) that were shot down in North East France on 27 June 1941 where the Pilot was captured or in 1 case evaded but may have been captured later TD
Good find - my German isn't good enough, I'm afraid: would (or could) 'recovered' indicate a fatality, Itdan? P/O Andrews' aircraft seems the likeliest candidate if so.
in german usage, wounded and dead are usually recovered, because this word implies that the person in question cannot help themselves But here too the exception proves the rule