A Few More War Time Photos

[mrhenniger]

I have scanned a few more wartime photos and posted them on Webshots. They are not of the Jack Cook caibre, but since we can't travel back in time...
http://community.webshots.com/album/542545430oFKHnK

You will find a picture of a Fairey Battle in this album. I have reason to assume the picture was taken in Southern Onterio during WWII. So I would guess it was touring on a war bond drive. Can anyone tell from this picture which mark this Battle is?

There is also a picture of a Fairey Baracuda. The writing on the side says "Bauhanalian Blonde". Apparently the markings are eqytian and roughly translate to "Living for all time". Anyone have an idea of the ID of this airframe?

Mike

[Chris Brame]

The name is actually "Bacchanalian Blonde".

[mrhenniger]

The name is actually "Bacchanalian Blonde".

Thanks. I just checked Websters. Apparently this relates to "Bacchus, god of wine." I don't know why it is painted on the side of the plane. I don't see the connection.

Mike

The name is actually "Bacchanalian Blonde".

Thanks. I just checked Websters. Apparently this relates to "Bacchus, god of wine." I don't know why it is painted on the side of the plane. I don't see the connection.

Mike

I think there was at least airplane with a name and nose art expressing the concept of Wine, Women and Song (IIRC I'm thinking about a P-51 name written in French as "Le Vin, Les Femmes, Les Chansons" and an Australian A-20 or Boston (in which the Pilot won a VC?) called "Spirit of Sport" with an heraldic illustration of booze, women, gambling etc. - "Bacchanalian Blonde" isn't too far away from those sentiments.

The hieroglyphics are interesting too because they're real. Look at http://www.greatscott.com/hiero/index.html and you get the following:

first symbol (looks like a stick man but it isn't) is a sandal strap = the concept of "life"

next two symbols
basket with handle = basket (or letter "k")
rectangle = pool (or sound "sh")

last symbol is a snake = concept "snake" = (or sound "dj" as in "adjust" it says here)

A coded way of saying that life's a basket/pool of snakes? I like it!


Rob /Kansan

[Dan K]

Thanks. I just checked Websters. Apparently this relates to "Bacchus, god of wine." I don't know why it is painted on the side of the plane. I don't see the connection.

You're putting WAY too much effort into this.

A Bacchanalian blonde is quite simply a drunk one.

Whether it relates to a pleasant experience the pilot had on holiday or how the Barracuda handled during slow flight is anyone's guess.

[Raven]

Hi Mike,
A bit of detective work here. I'm not certain, but the only silver Battle I can recall (or find pics of on a quick search) is the prototype. The 'Aluminium' paint finish, black canopy outline, spit-wood paling fence and roundel type indicate to me that you have a photo of the Battle prototype in the UK somewhere, possibly Hendon at the RAF Display, but if it were it should have a 'new types park' number on the side.

There was essentially only one 'mark' of Battle, the Mk.I, variants being a Belgian export version and the Canadian & British modified trainers. IIRC, Battles were built camouflaged, and those sent to Australia and Canada would have been sent in camouflage, then repainted into training colours; so silver is an unlikely scheme (unless there was a UK batch built in silver, which I don't think is correct.)

The prototype looked quite different in details originally, but was brought up to Mk.I standard later (still in Aluminium) so it is possible; but not conclusive. I don't think a silver coloured Battle would have appeared in Ontario / Canada, IIRC (and I may be wrong) Canadian Battles were camouflaged or in TT / training yellow / black.

It's possible that the photo owner was given a print of a UK photo, it's not necessary that he was in the UK himself.

In answer to the actual question it's either a Battle Mk.I or the prototype.

As to the 'Bacchanalian Blonde' anyone who was flying a British aircraft would have had a classical education then, and be familiar with the idea of Greek and Latin as a source of humour. As Kansan and Ken have said, it's not without precedent, and just means drunken (or alcoholic) and given the Barra's propensity to fly badly and to poison its pilots with Carbon Monoxide it may be a comment on the unreliability of the type.

The Hieroglyphics are interesting as they are clearly written to be read, rather than to 'look nice' - the design-work is a 'typeface' that doesn't usually get used for hieroglyphics which tent to be represented in real or pseudo- ancient Egyptian characters.

Hope this helps!

PS I suggest you post the Barra and Battle pics over on the Flypast forum - you might get some interesting further Gen / comment there, and certainly more on the Battle.

[tom d. friedman]

cut some slack for yourself!!! you don't find old ORIGINAL!!!! fairey battle pics under to many rocks anymore!! thanks!!!!

[mrhenniger]

Hmmmm.... I honestly didn't expect to find that I had a picture of the prototype Battle, and I seriously doubt even now. I would guess that this Battle was painted over all yellow. The picture appeared to be over exposed. It is also a black and white print. Combine all of this and it was likely a yellow Battle. The Battle photo was with my great Aunt's things in a box someplace when she died. I am guessing that she or some one she knew took the photo. The "snow fence" would indicate this was a barrier to keep the public from walking up to the plane (I am assuming again). All of this suggests to be it was on a war bond drive. My Aunt was in her late teens during the war, and was living in Tillsonburg, Ontario. This is in southern Ontario, and during the war Tillsonburg had an emergency landing strip which is now the site of their airport (and the home of the CHAA). Tillsonburg is also located halfway between Aylmer and Dunnville, two significant bases of the BCATP in Canada during the war. So I am taking this a further significance in my war bond tour theory, although it is just that... a theory.

As for the Barracuda... Thanks for all of the comments. I just dug a bit deeper into my notes and noticed someone had provided a rough translation of the. I quote...

The Egyptian hieroglyphs on the fuselage roughly translate to "living for all time".

Interesting.

Thanks again for all of the input.

Mike

[Raven]

Hi Mike,
The Battle's colour. I'm almost certain it's silver rather than yellow, for the following reasons:

The 'sheen' behind the gunner's cockpit looks like a silver one rather than yellow.

The red 'dot' is dark, the blue in the roundel light - on that basis the film (pan or ortho can't remember off the cuff) should be a mid- or dark- tone, NOT lighter than the red AND blue of the roundel.

The 'snow fence' is exactly the same type that was often used at airshows in the UK, in the 1930s (and called a split paling fence) and the clothing in the background is as typical of UK gear as Canadian - it's a pity no-one's wearing plaid!

In short, in my view, it could be in the UK, and it could be in Canada. I'm reasonably sure that it's silver, not yellow, which if true narrows it down a lot. However there's nothing conclusive either way.

Hope that's of some help, and yes, historic photo interpretation is part of my job.

[mrhenniger]

Hope that's of some help, and yes, historic photo interpretation is part of my job.

Well then... I am not going to argue with the pro!

Thanks!

Mike