485 (New Zealand) Squadron - Re-arming a Spitfire, 1942
Cpl. Muir (left), Cpl. Bongard (centre) and LAC Hooper (on the wing), cleaning and re-arming Spitfire Mk.Vb 'Silver Blue' BM229, at Kenley, 1942.
Air Force Museum of New Zealand MUS961822
Cpl. Bongard (left), Cpl. Muir (under the wing), and LAC Hooper (on the wing), cleaning and re-arming Spitfire Mk.Vb 'Silver Blue' BM229, at Kenley, 1942.
Air Force Museum of New Zealand MUS990884
Cleaning and re-arming the guns of No.485 (New Zealand) Squadron’s presentation Spitfire Mk.Vb ‘Silver Blue’ (BM229, coded OU-A), at Kenley.
Seemingly ‘hard at work’ are Cpl. Muir, Cpl. Ernie Bongard, and LAC Hooper. However, closer inspection reveals that the canvas patches covering the machine-gun ports are undamaged, indicating that the guns haven’t been fired, and that, in all likelihood, there is no need to re-arm. So this is probably a posed photograph, but it’s great that the names of the ‘erks’ were recorded.
‘Silver Blue,’ (sponsored by Brigadier General Lindeman) was taken on strength by 485 Squadron on 23rd March, 1942. The Squadron left Kenley on 8th July, and, as the sources I can find say that these photos were taken at Kenley, it would be reasonable to assume that it was taken sometime between those dates. BM229 was flown on approximately 28 operational sorties while on strength with 485 Squadron.
Source: “Spitfire, The New Zealand Story” by Gerard Morris
Photos in the public domain from The Air Force Museum of New Zealand. See links below.
Reference number
KRP0236 Copyright
Public Domain License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC-BY-NC-ND)
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