Clipped, cropped, clapped - YO-Q
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A rather well known Spitfire LF Mk. Vb, W3834 YO-Q of No. 401 (Canadian) Squadron, summer 1943, probably photographed in Redhill.
In January 1943, No. 401 Squadron withdrew from first line operations with No. 11 Group, exchanging its Spitfire Mk. IX for the old and tried Mk. Vs. These aircraft were retained when the unit resumed operational flying from Redhill in July and Staplehurst in August. During this period, YO-Q was flown F/Lt Thomas Karl "Ibby" Ibbotson. Sadly, it was to be Ibbotson's last aircraft - on 21 July he died in the motorcycle accident. The new pilot of YO-Q was F/Lt Oscar Mahaffy Linton.
W3834 had a long and successful career, and at the time when the photo was taken was rather worn out. Produced by Supermarine in Eastleigh in September 1941, it was one of the fourteen Spitfires presented to the RAF by the Canadian Holt family through the "Who’s for Britain Fund". Like many other privately-funded Spitfires, by the time it received an inscription "Holt XII" on its fuselage. The aircraft first entered service with No.266 Squadron at Martllesham Heath, then with No.154 Squadron at Fowlmere.
Damaged in an accident on 12 April 1942, it was sent to Air Service Training Ltd at Eastleigh. There, along with many other second-hand Mk. V airframes, it received a low-altitude Merlin 45M engine and clipped wing tips, becoming LF Mk. Vb. Because of this provenance the low-altitude Spitfires gained a rather unfavourable nickname "clipped, cropped and clapped" among the units using them.
Following the conversion, in August 1942, W3834 was allotted briefly to 5th Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Group, USAAF at Eglinton, Northern Ireland for convoy patrol duties.
No.421 Squadron RCAF in Fowlmere became the next owner of the aircraft in March 1943, followed by two other RCAF units: No.416 Squadron in May and No. 401 in July. It was during this period that the aircraft received a large emblem on the port side of the fuselage, with the coat of arms for the Corps of Imperial Frontiersmen.
Despite its age, W3834 was regularly employed in day to day operational work of the squadron including large number of escorts to bombers.
There are many interesting details in this photo, such as a non-standard camouflage pattern of the aircraft's forward fuselage, or the shark-mouthed Tiger Moth parked in the background.
W3834 survived the war and was struck off charge on 17 September 1945.
[Library and Archives Canada]
Labels: Spitfire Mk. V
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posted by
Anonymous on 12-May-2008 20:03:00
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Sir Herbert Holt of New York, head of the Holt family, and Major Andrew Holt of Montreal, Canada, presented 14 Spitfires with a donation through the "Wings for Britain" Fund of £72,000. Sir Herbert was an Irishman from County Kildare who went to Canada as a labourer and eventually made a fortune - he is stated to have donated $C250,000 in March 1941.
When the above photograph was taken, HOLT XII had been renamed CORPS OF IMPERIAL FRONTIERSMEN. (Holt IX W3831, was renamed ROBINSON.)
Taken on charge at NO.38 MU Llandow on 5 September 1941 Mk.Vb W3834 was allocated on 13 September to No.266 (Rhodesia) Sqn at Wittering (coded UO-P), engaged on sweeps and Rhubarbs as well as shipping strikes off the Dutch Coast. On 12 October Sgt R.G.G.Gain hit a floodlight while taxiing out to practice dusk landings. The squadron re-equipped with Typhoons in January 1942 and W3834 was handed over to No.154 (Motor Industries) Sqn at Fowlmere on 23 February 1942, which was to be declared operational the next day, to fly convoy patrols off the east coast, moving to Coltishall in March to begin offensive operations proper. The Category Ac damage on 12 April, when Sgt M.I.Gass collapsed the undercarriage on landing at Docking satellite, was re-categorised B before being sent on 18th to Air Service Training, Eastleigh, for repairs and installation of a Merlin 45 engine. Waiting to be collected on 9 July, it was delivered to NO.39 MU Colerne two days later and was moved out to the No.1 Satellite Landing Ground at Slade Farm on 28 July returning to the parent No.39 MU after only three days. The aircraft was then flown on 5 August from Colerne to Pershore by First Officer H.Berge1 ATA, being allocated to the 5th Sqn 52nd Fighter Group USAAF at Eglinton on 6 August before being transferred on 22 August to the 2nd Sqn of the same Group to fly convoy patrols over the Irish Sea. Returning to RAF charge it joined No. 421 (RCAF) Sqn on 10 March 1943 based at Fowlmere, moving to Kenley three days later, engaged on Circus, Rhubarb and Ramrod operations. On 23 May W3834 was handed over to No.416 (RCAF) Sqn, also at Kenley, to carry out similar operations, but as this was equipped with the Mk.IX, went on to No.401 (RCAF) Sqn at Redhill on 1 June. Coded YO-Q, the aircraft was usually flown by Pit Off T.K.Ibbotson and engaged mainly on bomber escort operations over occupied territory. By now it was renamed CORPS OF IMPERIAL FRONTIERSMEN, the inscription being in the form of the organisation's badge. After five days W3834 went to No.3501 Servicing Unit at Cranfield, to be returned to No.401 Sqn on 9 June. The squadron moved to Staplehurst on 11 August and W3834 went to Heston Aircraft on 12 November for repairs, also having a Merlin 55 engine installed. Awaiting collection on 3 March 1944, the aircraft was delivered to No.33 MU Lyneham on 30th. It was sent to No.1689 Bomber (Defence) Training Flight at Holme-on-Spalding Moor on 6 January 1945 for fighter affiliation duties, but on delivery First Officer A.G.Morgan on No.12 Ferry Pool ATA tipped W3834 on its nose while taxiing at Topcliffe, being finally delivered after repairs were carried out. On 18 May the engine failed and Fig Off D.Cumock force-landed at Carnaby airfield, then on 22nd Fig Off T.N.R.Fuseth tipped the aircraft on its nose while taxiing. W3834 was eventually struck off charge on 7 September 1945. (There was no Holt XIII, the next, W3835 was named Holt XIIa)