African vehicles

[Lang]

Here are 2 photos of DAF P40's. Wide and Narrow white stripe.

This is an interesting link.

http://raf-112-squadron.org/79th_fg.html

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Lang

Here are 2 photos of DAF P40's. Wide and Narrow white stripe.

I'm guessing the wide stripe was officially superceded by the narrow stripe, possibly to reduce visibility to enemy a/c. Perhaps this was initiated in the desert where the problem became evident in the much brighter light. Whatever the case, the wide stripe is seen on early model P40s and becomes increasingly rare on later models. Will need to check more photos of course.

[Lang]

If you can follow the same squadrons through a period you might see if it was a widespread instruction or just what the squadron signwriter decided.

[Lang]

You are on a hiding to nothing to try to make sense of the tail markings.

I found AWM photos of RAAF P40's in Italy with both wide and narrow stripes in the same squadron.

Here is a photo of Australian P40's in one squadron, wide stripes and nothing! December 1943

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Lang

You are on a hiding to nothing to try to make sense of the tail markings.

Yes I suspect it will probably do my head in if I try! As you say the logical way would be to follow the timeline in a few different squadrons, to see if it was time related or just local practice.

No need to worry about the Aussie P40s pictured, they're operating in SWPA so they bear RAAF markings (blue and white only). DAF was under RAF command so all British Commonwealth squadrons operating with DAF bore RAF markings (red/white/blue).

[Lang]

[No need to worry about the Aussie P40s pictured, they're operating in SWPA so they bear RAAF markings (blue and white only). DAF was under RAF command so all British Commonwealth squadrons operating with DAF bore RAF markings (red/white/blue).[/QUOTE]

Yes. It was taken at over Thursday Island. Purpose was to demonstrate how difficult it is if the same squadron aircraft are painted differently.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Lang

Purpose was to demonstrate how difficult it is if the same squadron aircraft are painted differently.

Sorry Lang, somehow that rather obvious difference in markings escaped my attention! I must have been suffering brain fade by then.

As you say it's difficult to explain these anomalies, and having looked at that series of AWM pics now, they raise even more questions! However it turns out they were taken soon after 84 Sqdn converted from Boomerangs to P40s, so that might explain the absence of markings on all but one a/c. Interestingly it's a later production P40N (identified by the modified rear cockpit for improved rear vision) so perhaps it arrived separately from the others with the fin flash already painted. Another photo of this a/c reveals the squadron code already painted too, but only on the starboard side, and another photo shows it painted over in white on the same day!

Another undated photo on the ground, which I assume to have been taken later, shows the fin flash now painted, but with no squadron code, and the a/c code is numeric.

I haven't found any other photos of these a/c, but presumably they were marked normally when they became fully operational with 84 Sqdn. However the squadron was reduced to cadre status in Qld a few months later, pending conversion to P51s. Photos show these were marked normally.