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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 28, 2007 16:32:16 GMT 12
I am scanning the photos of the late Bill Kain, who was a kiwi fighter pilot in the RAF and is one of the men in my Cambridge airmen project. I found this photo which baffles me. Firstly am I right in thinking this is a Baffin/Ripon? If so, I cannot understand how this came to be. Bill left NZ in 1935 to join the RAF after training to fly at Wigram as a civvie. Our Baffins did not arrive here in NZ till 1938 and prior to that they were all Fleet Air Arm. I do not believe that Bill had any attachment to the FAA at all prewar. He did not return to NZ till 1945, and by that stage he was told he was not wanted in the RNZAf and so became a civilian. So how could he be photographed in front of a Baffin? Did the RAF have a few too prewar? If so, where? When? The Baffin does not feature in his logbooks. He trained on the Tutor and went onto Gauntlets, Gladiators and hurricanes and flew Hurris and Spits in WWII. Any ideas? It is definately a Baffin variant isn't it?
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Post by Bruce on Sept 28, 2007 18:05:37 GMT 12
Fairey Gordon I think Dave, the lower wing isnt cranked down, it has 2 bay straight wings with slats. The serial under the LH lower wing appears to start with K, so it could be in the UK, however the NZ Gordons did soldier on, often still with RAF serials, until quite late in the war.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 2, 2007 13:22:31 GMT 12
Ah yes, you're so right about the lower wings. So, which units used the Gordon in the UK between 1935-45?
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Post by kiwi on Oct 10, 2007 12:01:52 GMT 12
I think 35 , 40 and 207 Sqns used the Gordon in the UK over that period . 35 Sqn from August 1936 till late 1937 had Gordons in the UK before they converted to Wellesleys . The relevant date for 40 Sqn would be November 1935 when they converted to Hinds . 35 and 207 Sqns were at Worthy Down near Winchester , at this time and 40 might have been at Abingdon .
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 10, 2007 14:02:26 GMT 12
Thanks Richard
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