African vehicles

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by motto

That's what was needed Lang, more information and it all comes into focus. The red, white and blue flash represents the tricolour not an RAF connection. I did wonder about the narrow white bar.

Not so fast David! The narrow white bar is what makes it RAF. The French tricolor has equal width colour bands. Also it was painted along the full length of the rudder, not as a miniature on the fin.

I agree the RAF fin flash on this 57 FG P40 is unusual, in that the top corner isn't cropped by the leading edge of the fin, however I put that down to Americans trying to paint British insignia!

[Lang]

Tony,

Good info.

I just had a look at about 100 photos of British aircraft. 90% had equal colour stripes ie wide white bar. The narrow white bar appears on only 10% of the aircraft I looked at and was found in all theatres.

The fatal error many historians make (not saying there is anything wrong with your conclusions) is believing regulations and standardisation in paint schemes and markings are slavishly adhered to in the field. Many is the misidentified vehicle or aircraft because it does not have or does have particular markings - even in the same unit or squadron.

Your research on these ones looks pretty impressive.

Lang

[Tony Wheeler]

Very interesting Lang, you've now got me scratching my head about the white bar width! If it varies in all theatres as you say, then perhaps it was officially changed at some point during the war....? Or perhaps there were simply two different versions floating around in the numerous official directives on a/c markings. I agree it's a mistake to assume these were slavishly followed, however I've found them much more reliable on a/c than vehicles. Anyway I shall take notice of the RAF fin flash in future and see if I can detect any rhyme or reason behind it!

As an Aussie my knowledge of USAAF markings is very limited, and my interest even less! I just happen to be familiar with these USAAF P40 squadrons attached to DAF, for the sole reason that my father also flew P40s in DAF! Thereafter they followed the same campaign trail through Sicily and Italy, occasionally sharing airfields and flying joint ops, so there's a further connection as well.