geedubelyer Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 (edited) Hello cognoscenti, I am hoping for some help please. Whilst researching RCAF squadrons based at RAF Digby, Lincs in WWII I stumbled across the tale of Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee. He composed and wrote the poem "High Flight" I've found one or two articles about the gentleman and one or two images of what appears to be his aircraft but my plea is for information and reference photos if anyone knows of any. In the link he is standing on the wing next to some text. Edit* The aircraft he is pictured lounging on was VZ-B "Brunhilde" in which he had a dodgy landing and damaged a wingtip apparently. It would be a nice project to recreate his aircraft for a number of reasons. RAF Digby is under 10miles (14km) as the crow flies from where I live so it would be my way of paying tribute to this young man who paid the ultimate price. My research continues but if anyone has any information I'd be very grateful. Cheers, Guy Edited January 25 by geedubelyer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry laurent Posted January 25 Share Posted January 25 I think this may help: https://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?16663-Spitfire-VB-AD329-in-412-Sqn-and-later&s=9a44efba6dc5065464486a4c6a54f68a geedubelyer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Palimaka Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Perhaps you've already seen this one. This article from Vintage Wings of Canada has a full biography, including the reason for choosing "Brunhilde" for the name and nose art. MAGEE - The Boy Hero and Poet Legend Richard geedubelyer, Shoggz and Martinnfb 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) It seems Guy that finding clear pictures of this particular Spitfire is pretty unlikely unless there are some in the book “Touching the Face of God”, but I imagine the author would have said that he had some in his posts on RAF Commands. I can look up the ORBs for the Squadron but that’s not going to tell you very much other than the ops that Magee went on flying “Brunhilde”. Let me know if you’d like them though. Edited January 26 by mozart geedubelyer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kagemusha Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Your best bet is finding other photos of 412 Sqn Spitfire Vb's, such as Martinnfb, mozart, geedubelyer and 1 other 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) ….or…. The context for this pic Guy: Edited January 26 by mozart geedubelyer, monthebiff and Kagemusha 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Roberts Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Vintage Wings of Canada has an electronic copy of his logbook - if you can get a copy of the pages for the relevant time period, there may be info there to help. You may also need to tie it in with the ORB info. geedubelyer and mozart 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 (edited) And here is the ORB info Guy; firstly an extract from the "Record of Events" showing that some of the squadron were practicing formation and "cloud" flying on 11.12.41 and that Magee was at the controls of AD291 (though he flew several other Spits during the earlier part of the month too)…see later post: followed by an extract from the "Summary of Events" complied by the Squadron Adjutant which explains Magee's death, followed by his funeral 2 days later: Rather ironic that G/Cpt Campbell should be lecturing on "Caution in Flying" that same evening....co-incidence? And an excellent biography of Magee with a couple of other Spitfire photos. Magee wasn’t senior enough within the squadron to have been allocated his “own” Spitfire (that was usually the preserve of flight commanders and above), so I think you could safely get away with modelling any that he actually flew. The difficulty is finding an individual squadron code letter to match a serial number. Edited January 27 by mozart geedubelyer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 It seems that when Magee joined 412 Squadron on 30 June 41 the squadron was flying Spitfire Mk IIs, they began equipping with Mk Vs mainly in October. These are the serial numbers of the Spits Magee flew in that month: P8250, P8145, P7856, P7759, P6612, P8086, P8369, P8391……all I think (assume without checking) Mk IIs. In November he flew: W3958, AD329, AD291, AD305, AA843, AA748, AD429….again I assume those beginning with two letters are Mk Vs. So if you are keen to model any of Magee’s planes there’s quite a choice. Shoggz and geedubelyer 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geedubelyer Posted January 27 Author Share Posted January 27 Superb info all. Many, many thanks for the help. It is much appreciated. I think we've narrowed the choice to either VZ-B, AD329 (Brunhilde) or VZ-H, AD291 Cheers Guy mozart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geedubelyer Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 I visited P/O Magee and his fallen comrades at Scopwick today. Quite a poignant and moving moment. R Palimaka, Out2gtcha, mozart and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozart Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Well done Guy, I know the feeling. You can't beat the feeling of somehow "being in touch" despite the years and circumstances. Shoggz, geedubelyer and Kagemusha 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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