I'm sick and tired of not seeing a Hawker Hurricane ...

[Mark Allen M]

... wearing Invasion Stripes ...

Oh wait!! here's one! ... per request

"By D-Day the Hurricane had been removed from operational units in NW Europe. However, known examples with 'D-Day stripes' are the Hurricane IIs used by the Air Dispatch Letter Service and 137 Sqn's 'hack' (the 2nd TAF Typhoon squadron Hurricane hacks had been removed shortly before D-Day and replaced by Austers but 137 was still in ADGB and kept theirs)". quoted per Chris Thomas

Another Hurricane unit to see service during D-Day was 1449 Flight RAF, that was station on the Isle of Scilly.

[Mark Allen M]

And a few more of the darned elusive things ...

Hawker Hurricane Mark IIC Air Despatch Letter Service) returns to England with the Mail.


Hurricane Mark IIC LF380FI-D of No 83 Operational Training Unit on the ground at Peplow Shropshire

[Mike]

Good find Mark, thanks for posting.

[Firebird]

... wearing Invasion Stripes ...

I think that might be a 1697 Flt Hurricane from RAF Northolt, taken in Normandy loading mail for return to the UK.

It was a Hurricane of 1697 Flt flown by Squadron Leader James Eric Storrar DFC* AFC, that made the first ever landing of an Allied aircraft onto Allied held French territory on D+4 carrying classified mail and recording material for war correspondents.

[PbyCat-Guy]

Cool to see a Hurricane with invasion stripes

[Mark Allen M]

Much welcome mates, now I suppose I should post a photo of the even more rare and elusive P-40 with invasion stripes

[Aeronut]

It was a Hurricane of 1697 Flt flown by Squadron Leader James Eric Storrar DFC* AFC, that made the first ever landing of an Allied aircraft onto Allied held French territory on D+4 carrying classified mail and recording material for war correspondents.

Lets not forget that gliders are also aircraft so the claim for the first aircraft to land on allied held territory (as opposed to German held territory) would go to the gliders of Operation Mallard on the afternoon of D-day. If you really meant powered aircraft then there were the AOP Austers of 662 AOP Sqn which landed in Normandy on D+2.

[BenG]

I should post a photo of the even more rare and elusive P-40 with invasion stripes

Yes, please!

[gliderman1]

First allied aircraft to land on D+4! The war was almost over by then!

What about the Horsa gliders landing very early morning at the bridge, plus the 50 some CG-4A at 0400 on 6 June and US and British flown Horsa gliders and other US flown CG-4A the morning and evening of June 6?

[Firebird]

What about the Horsa gliders landing very early morning at the bridge, plus the 50 some CG-4A at 0400 on 6 June and US and British flown Horsa gliders and other US flown CG-4A the morning and evening of June 6?

The clue is in my original post - perhaps you should re-read it.......

First allied aircraft to land on D+4! The war was almost over by then!

They usually were nearly over by the time you lot joined in anyway

[gliderman1]

OH! I'm sorry, I forgot you had to wait until the territory was Allied held before landing one of your mail bags on French soil. You are correct, before our lot got involved in battle (we were already sending you TONS of stuff to keep you alive) the war was over for France and was very close to being over for you. Glad we were able to help you out a bit.

[Mark Allen M]

They usually were nearly over by the time you lot joined in anyway

Not 'over' enough for a lot more dying to have to take place, two KIA uncles families & relatives can attest to that, along with several hundred thousand other families and relatives of hero's buried in many, many a war grave, but who's counting right? ... No point to be made here other than the very real fact that far too many hero's were lost from ALL sides, all countries for far too long in that d*mn war. What's the real shame is that we humans, as a whole, still aren't capable of learning how not to kill each other, as we continue to do so quite regularly all over the world. Until humans find a way to abolish war and armed conflict (of which seems unlikely) every hero who sacrificed their lives for the rest of us to live in some sort of peace and brotherhood, will have died almost in vain IMHO ... but what do I know?

[Mark Allen M]

I've been sick and tired of not seeing a B-17 with invasion stripes as well ... until now ...
Source: American Air Museum archives


A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-97108) used by the 8th Air Force Service Command.


A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-97108) used by the 8th Air Force Service Command.

[Matt Gunsch]

Now we need a Hurricane with invasion stripes AND a tiger mouth

[Invader26]

Great pics now let's see a restoration done with a "proper" 6in paint brush paint job that looks like these..