The War in View #45: American Aircraft in British Service

Rearming guns on a RAF Bell P-400 Airacobra "Skylark XIII" piloted by Sqn Ldr Edward John Gracie, commander of No. 601 Squadron, the only British squadron ever armed with the P-400, between August 1941 and March 1942.

 

Douglas Havoc I No.BB902 in RAF camouflage and markings, 7th Photographic Group, 8th United States Army Air Force based at Mount Farm, Oxfordshire.

 

Douglas Havoc I No.BB-902 in RAF camouflage and markings, 7th Photographic Group, 8th United States Army Air Force based at Mount Farm, Oxfordshire.

 

Original wartime caption: (Picture issued 1942) "On guard". An armored reconnaissance unit of the R.A.F. Regiment setting out on the dusk patrol. The Unit commander is signaling to the other armored fighting vehicles in his troop. All over the country similar mechanized units stand at readiness day and night to deal promptly and effectively with any attempt at airborne invasion. The aircraft are Douglas Havocs.

 

A reconnaissance unit of the RAF Regiment patrols round the perimeter track at Bradwell Bay, Essex. A Morris Light Reconnaissance Car bearing the officer in charge, is followed by four airmen in a jeep as they pass a Douglas Havoc in a sandbagged revetment.

 

Douglas A-20C-BO Havoc (635), at Langley Field, Virginia, July 1942.  This Havoc was license built under the Lend-Lease-Agreement for the Royal Air Force, although most of these aircraft were diverted to the USAAF.

 

Douglas A-20C-BO Havoc (635), at Langley Field, Virginia, July 1942.  This Havoc was license built under the Lend-Lease-Agreement for the Royal Air Force, although most of these aircraft were diverted to the USAAF.

 

Douglas Boston Mk. IV (BZ447), ex-USAF (43-21444), No. 88 Squadron, RAF, still in post D-Day invasion stripes, equipped with a Martin 250CE upper turret, 15 July 1944. Struck off Charge 21 Feb 46. Likely scrapped. In July, in response to complaints from reconnaissance units of compromised camouflage, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) ordered the invasion stripes be removed from all upper surfaces. The stripes were completely removed in August 1944.

 

Douglas Boston Mark IIIs of No. 88 Squadron RAF based at Oulton, Norfolk (UK), flying at low level over the North Sea, in order to avoid detection by enemy radar, while on a daylight bombing sortie. Beyond the four Bostons in view, are three escorting North American Mustang Mark Is. Circa September 1942/March 1943.

 

Douglas Boston dorsal turret gunner.

 

Douglas DB-7B Boston Mk. III, No. 107 Squadron, RAF.

 

Douglas DB-7B Boston, RAF.

 

Douglas Boston Mk. I (AE458), at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, in the UK, during an inspection of new American aircraft for the RAF by the Duke of Kent.  AE458 was one of sixteen aircraft diverted to Britain from an ex-Belgian contract, and served as a crew trainer with No. 18 and No. 88 Squadrons, RAF.

 

Douglas Boston and Lockheed Hudson aircraft of RAF Ferry Command en route to Britain, May 1943.

 

 

Douglas A-20C-BO Havoc, painted as an RAF Boston, circa 1942.

Royal Air Force Douglas Boston Mark IIIs of No. 88 Squadron RAF, lined up at RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk (UK). The airfield was used by No. 88 Squadron RAF from August 1941 to September 1942.

Douglas Boston Mk. III, (BZ264), ex-USAAF (42-33019), coded RH-B No. 88 Squadron, RAF. The Squadron had flown its first operation on 25 August 1943. She flew a total of 77 Ops with No. 88 Squadron, then moved to No. 342 Squadron, RAF, for 77 more and was SoC 15 June 1945.

Operation NEPTUNE: the air and naval assault phase of OVERLORD. An armorer checks the dorsal .303 machine guns of Douglas Boston Mark IIIA, BZ292 'RH-L', of No. 88 Squadron RAF at Hartford Bridge, Surrey, while two others replenish the smoke cylinders in the bomb-bay, in between low-level smoke-laying sorties along the Normandy coast. BZ292, a Lend-Lease Douglas A-20C, still bears its American serial number 42-33047 on the tail: the British serial number has been covered by the hastily-applied AEAF 'invasion' stripes.

Boston Mark IIIAs (BZ389, RH-E nearest) of No. 88 Squadron RAF, fitted with smoke-laying equipment in the bomb-bays, prepare to take off from Hartford Bridge, Hampshire, on a smoke-laying sortie during Operation STARKEY.

114 Squadron Douglas Bostons over North Africa.

Douglas Boston III (RH-F) bomber of No. 88 Squadron RAF in flight, circa 1942.

Operation JUBILEE, the Combined Forces raid on Dieppe, France. Aircrews of either No. 88 or No. 107 Squadrons RAF of No. 2 Group, being briefed by their flight commander at Ford, Sussex, before taking off to bomb German gun batteries in support of the raid. Parked in the background is a Douglas Havoc or Boston night intruder of No. 605 Squadron RAF.

Operation JUBILEE, the Combined Forces raid on Dieppe, France. Douglas Boston Mk. IIIs, No. 88 Squadron, RAF, on the flight line preparing for the raid on Dieppe, 19 August 1942.

Operation JUBILEE, the Combined Forces raid on Dieppe, France. A Douglas Boston Mark III of No. 2 Group runs in to bomb a gun battery near the town, passing over a smoke screen laid off the coast to provide cover for the landing operations.

Operation JUBILEE, the Combined Forces raid on Dieppe, France. Bombs being released from a Douglas Boston bomber over the target area.

Operation JUBILEE, the Combined Forces raid on Dieppe, France. RAF Boston Mk III from No. 88 Squadron RAF flying from Ford, Sussex, heads inland over France after the bombing the German gun batteries defending Dieppe (seen at upper left), taken by an aircrewman of an accompanying aircraft. 19 August 1942, Dieppe, France.

Douglas Boston Mark V, BZ581 (ex-USAAF 44-737), fitted with belly fuel tank, at Prestwick, Ayrshire, following its ferry flight over the Atlantic.

Douglas Boston Mark III, W8254, at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, prior to conversion as a Turbinlite aircraft, It served with No. 1422 (Night Fighter) Flight.

Douglas Havoc II AH522, which was originally ordered in October 1939 as a DB-7 through the British and French Purchasing Commission's joint order, the aircraft was converted to a Havoc night intruder on arrival in the UK. Of note are its flame dampers, its solid nose with its gun ports covered in doped fabric and its radar aerials in the extreme nose and under the wing, which, oddly have escaped the attention of the censor and were normally blotted out. 

Douglas Havoc II AH522, which was originally ordered in October 1939 as a DB-7 through the British and French Purchasing Commission's joint order, the aircraft was converted to a Havoc night intruder on arrival in the UK. Of note are its flame dampers, its solid nose with its gun ports covered in doped fabric and its radar aerials in the extreme nose and under the wing, which, oddly have escaped the attention of the censor and were normally blotted out. 

Douglas Havoc II AH522, which was originally ordered in October 1939 as a DB-7 through the British and French Purchasing Commission's joint order, the aircraft was converted to a Havoc night intruder on arrival in the UK. Of note are its flame dampers, its solid nose with its gun ports covered in doped fabric and its radar aerials in the extreme nose and under the wing, which, oddly have escaped the attention of the censor and were normally blotted out.

Douglas Boston IIIa BZ330, an A-20C in US parlance, which was acquired under Lend-Lease, whereas the DB-7s were bought by the British and French. Can't say much else about it, but it appears to be a normal service example; it was not used in testing by the A&AEE.

Douglas Boston V BZ581, the second of the Lend-Lease requisition for A-30K model aircraft, fitted with the Martin gun turret. Note it is wearing its USAAF number on its tail, 44-737 and it's fitted with a long-range belly tank, which looks like it's on its way somewhere, possibly continental Europe by that time.

Douglas Dakota, BZ (Baker Zebra), 31 Squadron, RAF, Southeast Asia.

Douglas Dakota, M-Mike, RAF, Burma, taking off while being watched by a native foreman in charge of repair work.

A British Douglas Dakota in Gibraltar prepares for its flight to the United Kingdom as searchlights shine in the background (date unspecified).

Goose Mark I, MV993, of No. 24 Squadron RAF based at Hendon, Middlesex, in flight. This aircraft was formerly G-AFKJ, owned by Lord Beaverbrook.

Vultee Vengeance in RAF service being loaded for a mission.

Vultee Vengeance I, AF745, RAF.

Waco Hadrian Mark I, probably FR557, under tow at the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire.

British troops loading a  jeep is loaded onto a Waco Hadrian glider for the assault on Sicily. July 1943.

As the men of one Waco Hadrian glider disembark and gather their gear, another is coming in for a landing. Southern France, Operation Dragoon. 15 August 1944.