Battle of Britain Memorial Flight to repaint Hurricane in 303Sqn colours
2 Jan
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Battle of Britain Memorial Flight to repaint Hurricane in 303Sqn colours.
The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has announced that its MkII Hurricane LF363 will be repainted as 303 Kościuszko squadron’s MkI Hurricane V6665 with the code RF-J. The change of colour scheme will form part of the Hurricane’s major maintenance and servicing programme to be carried out during the winter by The Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill) Ltd.
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The BBMF said that it likes to keep LF363 in a Battle of Britain colour scheme to commemorate the massive part played by Hurricanes during the Battle. "After careful deliberation and research, it was decided that the aircraft will be painted to represent MkI Hurricane V6665, ‘RF-J’, of 303 Kościuszko (Polish) Squadron, during September 1940".
Hurricane V6665 was delivered to 303 Tadeusz Kościuszko City of Warsaw Squadron at Northolt on 7 September 1940 and painted in the code of RF-J. Two days later ‘A’ flight commander Flt Lt Johnny Kent, flying this Hurricane, claimed a Messerschmitt Bf 110 destroyed and a Junkers Ju-88 probably destroyed.
This Hurricane was also flown by Sgt Michał Brzezowski on 11 September when he claimed two Heinkel He 111s destroyed about 16.00. Brzezowski was the most successful pilot of V6665. Sadly he was shot down and killed four days later on 15 September. His Hurricane P3577, with the code RF-E, went into the sea and his body was never found. Brzezowski was the youngest Polish airman to participate in the Battle of Britain.
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On 26 September Sgt Tadeusz Andruszków flew V6665 and claimed a Dornier Do 17 destroyed. But the following day, flying the same aircraft, he was shot down at 16.30 over Horsham and killed and the Hurricane was destroyed. Sgt Tadeusz Andruszków was 19 years old and is buried in Northwood Cemetery, grave H-208.
The BBMF said that Hurricane LF363 will not appear in the new colour scheme until the summer of 2021, but from then on it will allow the BBMF to tell the story of 303 Squadron during the Battle of Britain, its Polish pilots and its Canadian RAF flight commander Flt Lt Johnny Kent.
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Artwork copyright: Chris Sandham-Bailey inkworm.com