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Last Updated: Oct 7th, 2018 - 04:49:12 |
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| RCAF Historian Jerry Vernon comments. Photo was taken at Hunsdon, HERTS, in the UK, during the brief period. (photo via John Mallandaine) |
The yellow trimmed Mustang IVs of No. 442 "Caribou Squadron RCAF, flew one of the last operational missions of WW2. On May 9, 1945, the day after VE Day (and some heavy celebrations) the squadron was called upon to escort a naval force that had been sent to liberate the Channel Islands that had been occupied by German forces since 1940. Rumours prevailed that the German Commandant was refusing to surrender and would resist the liberating forces.
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| According to IPMS Canada, Mustang Mk IV, KH661, Y2-C was flown by Flying Officer P Bremmner, but he may have been the Pilot on this particular mission. |
RCAF Historian Jerry Vernon reports on the wartime Black & White photos.-----
-- "The (photos were) taken at Hunsdon, HERTS, in the UK, during the brief period that 442 flew Mustang Mk. IV aircraft before VE-Day. 442 were based at Hunsdon from 23 Mar 45 - 17 May 45, while converting onto the Mustang and
then while engaged in long-range bomber escort duties up to VE-Day.
This same photo also appears in the 442 Squadron History Book, via John Mallandaine, who was a 442 Sqn. Mustang pilot at the time, and who lives on Vancouver Island. Most of the Mustang photos in the 442 book are either
"by" or "via" John Mallandaine, although I had not seen the 2nd photo before. (John Mallandaine was the pilot of Y2-B "Edmonton Special")
Copies may or may not be in DND's photo library. I am more inclined to think that John circulated copies of these to the guys in the squadron.
If you note the various photos carefully, you will see variations on the markings. Some were marked as "B", "C" and "T" are, but also some of the bare metal ones were marked with "Y2" by the windscreen and the individual
letter just ahead of the roundel(see Y2 Y). Others have the individual letter behind the roundel and the "Y2" immediately ahead of the roundel, in the manner used postwar(see Y2-A, Y2-D in various photo).
"JAS", the aircraft flown by the Wing Commander Flying, W/C J. A. Storer. It was KM232, and I have always had the theory that it was intended to be (or may have originally been?) the elusive "Y2-K"Mustang. KM232 was on 442(F) Sqn's charge, but was assigned to the Wing Commander Flying and carried his personal code.
The cowling and canopy colours are very boldly outlined on photos of KM232."--
Note that most of the aircraft in these photos have a louvered panel at the lower front of the engine cowling where most P-51Ds & Ks had a perforated panel.
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| Art Nowlan with Y2-T, Digby, Jul 45. |
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| Art Nowlan with Y2-T, Digby, Jul 45. |
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| Y2-B, The 'Edmonton Special' P-51D Mustang. |
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| Y2-B, The 'Edmonton Special' P-51D Mustang. |
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| "Edmonton Special", personal aircraft of John Mallandaine, Hunsdon, 1945. |
For those of you who may be interested, IPMS Canada has a set of 'Sweating Beaver' Decals for some of the Mustang IVs of 442 Sqn. RCAF including Y2-C, Y2-A, Y2-B, and Wing Commander James Storrar's aircraft, JAS, which was all metal with Blue trim. These are available in 1/48th only at......
http://www.ipmscanada.com/442teaser.html
There is also a detailed article by Randy Lutz on his 1/32 Mustang IV, Y2-B, the Edmonton Special as flown by PO A.J. Mallandaine with photos by Jamie Leggo.
Additional material on the camouflage of these Mustangs can be found in IPMS Canada's RT Vol 26, No. 5
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