Home > 609 Squadron Photographs > Early Aircraft

609's Early Aircraft, and some others

www.VORD.net

There were a number of photographs of aircraft in my grandfather's archive. Some are related to 609 Squadron, and some to other squadrons that may have shared bases with 609.

	Hawker Hind A row of 609 Squadron Hawker Hinds probably during 1938. The Hind to the foreground K6848 would later be written off by PO Dundas after the engine cut on take off. It ended up resting inverted in a back garden in Victoria Street, Yeadon. (Jim Earnshaw's book 609 at War contains a good photograph of this incident.)

	Hawker Hinds in Flight Jim Earnshaw lightheartedly refers to the Hawker Hind as 609 Squadron's answer to the Messerschmitt Me 109. Thankfully they would be replaced by Spitfires in August 1939, just a month before the outbreak of World War 2.

	Fairey Battles Spitfires were in short supply in 1939, and 609 squadrons used three Fairey Battles to train pilots in monoplane flying during the spring and summer of 1939. This is Fairey Battle K7629 and the photograph may have been taken at Yeadon, now Leeds Bradford Airport.

	Armstrong Whitworth 27th August 1939 - Two Armstrong Whitworths, formerly of Imperial Airways, land at Yeaden to transport 609 Squadron to Catterick. War was declared just 10 days after 609 reached Catterick.

	Vickers Vildebeest A rather unfortunate Vickers Vildebeest MK III (K4591) belonging to 22 Squadron. The photograph was probably taken during 1938 at summer camp in Thorney Island. The aircraft was repaired and eventually found it's way to New Zealand.

	Short Stirling Among the other aircraft photographs in the archive is a Short Stirling following a belly landing. The only signs of damage are the bent propellers.

	Bristol Bulldog II J9567 This aircraft is referenced elsewhere on the internet, but the information is written in Russian.