BS445

Supermarine Spitfire BS445 Mk IX, Const #3373, Built at Eastleigh.

FF 11-9-42, assigned to 133S 13-9-42, transferred to 331S 29-9-42, flying accident Cat CB damage 5-1-43, GAL M63 install, assigned to 332S 6-11-43, transferred to 317S, flying accident Cat AC damage 25-2-44, ROS, SOC 27-11-47.

Pictured after the 25th Feb 44 flying accident, repairs complete : https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jaSpCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=Sp…

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

No 133 'Eagle' Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Type Category: Fighter

People

A pilot, Domenic "Don" Gentile, of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group - Debden with his P-51 Mustang, nicknamed "Shangri-La"

Dominic Salvatore Gentile

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 4th Fighter Group 336th Fighter Squadron No 133 'Eagle' Squadron
Service Numbers: O-885109
Highest Rank: Major
Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Places

Pilot Officer Kenneth Le Roy Holder stands on the shoulders of Pilot Officer Donald William McLeod to reach out for an American flag flying from a flag pole. A group of American airmen look on. They wear the insignia of the RAF Eagle Squadrons, the forerunners of the squadrons of the 4th Fighter Group. Passed for publication on 27 November 1941. Printed caption on reverse: 'Pilot Officer Kenneth Le Roy Holder from Buena Park, California, stands on the shoulders of Pilot Officer Donald William McLeod from

Biggin Hill

Site type: Airfield

Duxford

Site type: Airfield
Known as: "Duckpond"

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Manufactured	Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK	11 September 1942	Built at Eastleigh. First flew 11-9-42.
Assigned	Biggin Hill, London SE19 3HY, UK	13 September 1942	Assigned to 133 [Eagle] Sqn RAF 13-9-42.
Other Morlaix Disaster	Bolt Head, Salcombe, Devon TQ8, UK	26 September 1942	BS445 slated for Morlaix mission, flown down to departure field, Bolthead. P/O Dominic S Gentile, Blown tire on takeoff, crashed into ditch. Scratched from mission.
Other Transferred	North Weald Bassett, Epping, Essex CM16, UK	29 September 1942	Transferred to 331 Sqn (Norwegian) 29-9-42.
Other E/A Destroyed	Calais, France	9 November 1942	E/A Claimed destroyed. Pilot Helmer Grundt-Spang 331Sqn. 9-11-42.
Crashed	London Southend Airport, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS2 6YF, UK	5 January 1943	Flying accident Cat CB damage 5-1-43. Spitfire IX BS137 on landing collided with parked A/C. Pilot uninjured.
Assigned	North Weald Bassett, Epping, Essex CM16, UK	6 November 1943	Assigned to 332 Sqn (Norwegian) 6-11-43.
Crashed	Llanbedr, Llanbedr, Gwynedd LL45, UK	25 February 1944	Flying accident Cat AC damage 25-2-44. Damaged in accident during gunnery practice Llanbedr.
Other Repair On Site ROS	Llanbedr, Llanbedr, Gwynedd LL45, UK	26 February 1944 - 15 March 1944	Repair On Site.
Other Struck Off Charge SOC	Heston, Hounslow, Hounslow, Greater London TW5, UK	27 November 1947	Struck Off Charge 27-11-47.
Other Factory repair	Hanworth, Hampton, Hampton, Greater London TW12, UK		To General Aircraft Ltd repairs and Merlin 63 installed.
Other Transferred	Heston, Hounslow, Hounslow, Greater London TW5, UK		Transferred to 317 Sqn 'Wilno' (Polish). Personal A/C Fl Lt Dobrinski.

Revisions

Date25 Feb 2016 09:43:56

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources

Spitfire Production List.
Polish Spitfire Aces by By Wojtek Matusiak.
RAF Southend by Peter Brown.
Aces High: A Further Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of ..., Volume 2 By Christopher Shores
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/the-morlaix-show.html
https://1942morlaixdisaster.wordpress.com/the-pilots/

Date15 Jan 2016 10:58:13

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources