WWII USAF Spitfire XI with "PRU-Blue" Color Scheme
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- Опубліковано 24 лип 2013
- Color / Silent 16mm home movies shot during WWII by Flight Surgeon James R. Savage, USAF, of blue-colored Spitfire XI reconnaissance aircraft. These images were shot at Mount Farm Air Base, UK, where the 14th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron was based. This footage was the basis of the 2006 short documentary "SPITFIRE 944." This new 4K scan of the original 16mm film element was made in 2013 by Image Trends in Austin, TX.
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Hello Bill
I visited my dad this weekend and showed him this footage. The pilots are from the 14th Squadron. First to appear is Willard Graves. Next is Verner K Davidson who passed away on December 7, 2013. The two guys shaking hands are George Nesselrode and Jerry Adams. Verner K Davidson is the driver of the Jeep with Willard Graves as passenger. They put on their flight gear in the 14th Engineering Operations Shack. Graves exits first and then Davidson with the whitish gloves. Graves is then seen in flight and then Davidson is strapped in, takes off and does a flyby (probably for the camera). He is flying Spitfire MK XI MB 948. The final sequence is Walt Weitner landing probably returning from the 7th PRG's first mission to Berlin.
All the best
Scott Blyth
Hi, Here is a F5E from the 7th PG 13th SQ that ended up in Sweden due to damage. Do you know if there are any material concerning this plane and pilot? Photos perhaps?
www.forcedlandingcollection.se/USAAFe/USAAF142-441112-lockhead.html
Googling the serial number "F5e 43-28616" brings up many mentions of this crash. Here is one that has the name of the pilot as "Lt. Alan V. Elston Jr." forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=10314 This site is where you can order official reports and photos: www.accident-report.com/world/europe/sweden.html
fantastic thx
Scott, Your dad is my new HERO and I'm so glad i found the Spitfire 944 short film and his story will now stay with as one of the most incredible stories of WWII. What a remarkable human-being. Cheers Jay (Australia).
I don't know why footage like this generates so much bile in some people. I just watched the spitfire 944 footage with Lt Col Blyth and have nothing but admiration for the bravery and selflessness of these young men who risked their lives. It doesn't matter what plane they flew.
For 10 years on here all I ever heard on Spitfire sites that the Spitfire did NOT have the range that it was a short distance interceptor only . So why the switch?
Wonderful images of a time of bravery and selfless service, I first saw these images on a BBC program "Operation Crossbow", now glad to see the whole thing!
Part of the runway still exists near Berinsfield, there's also a memorial in the village, ( Mount farm farm ) was built over in 50s/60s it's now just all houses , the 2 large tree topped hills in the background in some of the film is Wittenham Clumps , i think P 38 Lightnings flew from here as well ( Recce versions ) , there was another USAAF base not far away at Chalgrove, American Pathfinder Paratroops took off from there on 5/6th June 1944 , there's a memorial to those brave men near the old base which is still there mostly used as an industrial estate nowadays ( a company making ejector seats is based there) but housing is planned for it .
This is amazing footage, as a fan of PR Spitfires find this stuff facinating. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, the MkXI Spitfires were very high flying and fast. And could fly all the way from England to Berlin and back--just like the P51 Mustangs.
A Col. Blythe, an American pilot from this very squadron, has nothing but praise for his Spitfires. They could even turn inside the Mustang, he said, and he flew both aircraft many times during the war. ua-cam.com/video/9Z3MEDO7Sp8/v-deo.html
would be nice to see a Spitfire in this colour scheme showing off at the air shows in Britain
Great color footage, and I can't say I've seen a Spitfire in that color scheme.
It's mysterious to me -- how major film companies continued shooting in b/w during the war, while hobbyists took color videos this good. If you're trying to convey a scene, it's hard for b/w to compete with this.
black and white was cheaper and easier to produced,
I love it how they just clown around just to pass the monotony of waiting for they're next mission .
Looks great, incredible footage. Thank you. M.
great colour footage,,.the spitfires in usaaf markings looked so nice.,mount farm today is now a village..,notice the clipped wing mk v spit parked,..,these were war weary aircraft used for converting from the f5 p38s to the PR elevens,,
Very interesting.
Magnifique "Merci"
INCREDIBLE
Unusual color for a Spitfire and having American markings too.
+18tangles Wrong. Beginning in 1942 RAF Mustangs Mk1 were used for photo reconnaissance. The camera was mounted behind the armor plate in the radio window. The USAAF began using them in 1943 with the designation F-6A and were later replaced with the F-6C and F-6D models.
Eek! This soaringtractor Anglophobe (an American from Washington state apparently) tends to show up anywhere a Spitfire is found on UA-cam to spew his hatred of all things British and cheerlead anything American.
One would think his reservoir of hatred would run empty sometime but he is somewhat like the Energizer Bunny in that way ... :(
@@michaeldavid6284 Mustangs were used for low recon Mark Is N3069 and N3071 1940 with white undersides and blue uppers Source: Morgan and Shacklady Spitfire the History page 236 on .
What a beautiful aircraft!
Yes it was.
great film
Fantastic 👍
MB948, testflown by Leif Lundsten before being sent to Mount Farm.
Great video. We want more....
why do the Dept of Defence remove all the sound? official secrets act perhaps? just a question as it would be so good to hear the original sound along with the footage no?
This was a privately-owned, consumer, hand-wound, hand-held,16mm home movie camera from the early 1940's. It did not have sound technology. The vast majority of WWII-era footage at home and abroad was silent.
Sound wasn't invented until the 1950s. That's why when you watch Hitler's speeches, he's signing to the audience. The yelling and applause was added later.
All film makers should watch this clip if your making a WW2 war film don't forget loads and loads of bicycles
What happened to 944? Did the plane survive the war? Is it still around?
Sold in 1949
Real men.
Sugar’s Blues!
🇺🇸❤️🤍💙🇺🇸
Nice would have been nicer with sound. And the "USAF" maybe 'USAAF"
This later became the village of Berinsfield, more locally known as "Dodge Ciy" for its reutation of wife swapping. I had not read this all before watchingthe video, and identified the infamous Wittenham Clumps, the hills with the trees on top. This area was littered with airfields, Abingdon, Culham, Benson, Newenham House, Charlgrove, Cowley, Kingston Bagpuize, Grove, Harwell.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Royal_Air_Force_stations_in_Oxfordshire
To all the doubters here. This is 1944, the USAAF at this time had the P51 and plenty of P38s and yet they used the Spitfire Why?
@Phil Allison Wikipedia is a poor source but it was used as you said.
@Phil Allison Are you saying the Spitfire was superior to the P-51D?
Why modify a P51 when the RAF already had a plane capable and fitted up? Surely just good sense.
There were 2 USAAF Fighter Groups that flew the Spitfire in combat: the 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups, which flew in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) during 1943 and 1944. The Spitfire performed superbly also as a photo reconnaissance aircraft. (BTW, the P-38 was also employed as a photo reconnaissance aircraft with the USAAF in both the European Theater of Operations (ETO) and Italy.)
A PRU Spit was specifically built for the job.
No guns, extra fuel, etc, maybe a merlin with specifically optimised supercharging.
Must have been hard work in the tiny cockpit all the way to Berlin and back though.
Gee using a Brit plane why? they had the P38/,P47/P51
The P-38 F5 suffered from big reliability problems in European conditions at high altitudes. They suffered many engine failures, and, they had big problems keeping the pilot warm. Some US PR squadrons converted to PR Spitfires for that reason. They simply worked and, as modified, could fly out beyond Berlin and back and were very difficult to intercept. The same was true of PR Mosquitos.
Later on in WW2, the P-38 F5 issues over Europe got sorted out, and some P-51s were modified for PR missions. The top brass in the USAAF were not keen on using British aircraft, but for some time had little choice due to the F5 problems.
Go and view the documentary video on Spitfire 944 for a first hand account from an American pilot who flew those missions. His name is Lt. Col Blyth, and he loved that aircraft.
@@TheEulerID Thanks I did know I was interested if anyone else knew. The Mossie was taken off PR because with belly tanks the Spitfire could go anywhere and it was a waste of that extra Merlin Over in the Pacific it supplanted the Spitfire because the PR Mossie could do 3000+miles
USAAF, not USAF. Sheesh!