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Image from the John Church personal collection.
Four pilots in flying clothing including Mae West life jackets standing on a muddy airfield. Believed to be No. 111 Squadron based at RAF Station Capodichino, Italy.
Flight Sergeant John Church is second from right.
Written on the blackboard at right "3 December 1943".
Splash in the water where the No. 489 Squadron Beaufighter NE471, crashed into the sea, killing the Navigator, Flying Officer FE Spink DFC. The pilot, Squadron Leader Hughes DFC (both RAF), was taken prisoner. Parachute of Squadron Leader PA Hughes can be seen near the left edge.
Copied from the No. 489 Squadron Diary.
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Captured German Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Me109 KT+W?, missing many parts, at Catania, Sicily, Italy.
Bryan Young's information supplied "October 1943. During the landings at Salerno in Italy I succumbed to an onslaught of malaria, was evacuated to an RAF hospital at Catania in Sicily, recovered and while waiting for air transport back to the squadron [I] snapped this picture of a wrecked ME 109 in its blast bay on the aerodrome."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Air to air view of a Spitfire in flight over the Mediterranean Sea.
Bryan Young's information supplied "I took this photo of Al Swann, [from] New Plymouth sometime during April 1943 while over the Mediterranean on a ferry flight from Maison Blanche to Setif. A glorious day of blue sky above and blue sea as calm as a mill-pond below. The port aileron and wing tip of my aircraft can be seen in the bottom right corner of the photo."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
New Zealand pilot Sergeant Al Swann (left) with Australian pilot 'Crash' Gordon (right) on a Hurricane while at a fuel stop during ferrying the aircraft across North Africa.
Bryan Young's information supplied "April 1943. Al Swann NZ standing on wing and Crash Gordon Australian in cockpit while refueling at a desert airstrip. The aircraft being ferried is a 'tank busting' Hurricane. One of its four 40mm cannons is at lower right."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Bryan Young sitting in the cockpit with his Fitter, Englishman Jackie Laird, sitting on the wing of No. 81 Squadron Spitfire JL188 FL-S. Gioia, Italy.
Bryan Young's information supplied "Same as for No. 7 [1999-058.18]. Each aircraft had its own fitter and rigger appointed whose sole responsibility was to look after that particular machine. We had an Englishman and a Scot respectively, Jackie Laird and Jock Clements and we operated on very familiar terms with both. This shot shows Jackie Laird's happy face just above the wing. The rough patch on the leading edge in the foreground is a protection for the guns to prevent dust and debris from entering the gun-ports and was easily replaced after firing had shot then away."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Bryan Young's information supplied "August 1943. Self, Bryan Young showing his nervousness on instant readiness at the end of the runway of Te Kali [sic] on Malta while serving a short while with 154 Squadron. A tiresome and nerve wracking duty hated by most pilots."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Bryan Young standing in front of hi No. 81 Squadron Spitfire at RAF Station Kangla, India.
Bryan Young's information supplied "Location - Kangla airstrip on the Imphal plain in the Indian State of Mauripur, north east Assam on the Burmese border during the siege of Imphal 1944. Occasion - 81 Squadron was then attached to 170 Wing of 221 Group flying the Spitfire Mk VIII depicted here, a refined and superior version of the Mk IX. The aircraft is my own, squadron code FL-S serial number JF698, it is parked in an earth revetment under a bamboo framework and camouflage netting with metal tracking covering the ground, the spinner as with all 81 Squadron aircraft is painted a brilliant scarlet, Jock Clements my fitter is at the starboard wing tip with myself in front complete with NZ Army lemon-squeezer hat given to Kiwi squadron members when passing through Cairo when we flew our machines out to India on transfer from Italy and the walking stick to help with a sprained ankle inflicted when I slipped, complete with parachute off a muddied wing. It was during the monsoon season when everything was flooded and covered with mud."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Bryan Young's information supplied "April 1943. At the fighter pool in Algiers. All Englishmen. L to R ? [unknown], Skinny Bray, Red Weller."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Bryan Young's information supplied "April 1943. Pip Piper NZ at the fighter pool in Algiers acting the fool again. See photos [1999-058.20 and 1999-058.23]."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Bryan Young's information supplied "Red Weller, Englishman. Location and date same as for captions [1999-058.5, 1999-058.6 and 1999-058.7]."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Bryan Young while flying a Hurricane in North Africa.
Bryan Young's information supplied "Ferrying a Hurricane in Algeria I took this photograph with the camera on my lap to see how I looked when flying. Height 10000 feet. Such ego!"
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Side view of an RAF Warwick(?) on an unknown airfield. Believed to be a No. 293 Squadron aircraft in North Africa.
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Bryan Young's information supplied "Red Weller, Englishman. Location and date same as for captions [1999-058.5, 1999-058.6 and 1999-058.7]."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
RAF Sergeant pilot Bray, at Algiers, Algeria.
Bryan Young's information supplied "Location same as for [1999-058.5]. Subject Skinny Bray, English pilot."
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Portrait of Sergeant Pilot Bryan Young at Algiers, Algeria.
See 1999-058.5 for Bryan Young's information supplied.
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Portrait of Sergeant Pilot Bryan Young at Algiers, Algeria.
See 1999-058.5 for Bryan Young's information supplied.
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Line up of Spitfires and a Beaufighter on an airfield. Unknown location, believed to be in North Africa.
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Portrait of Sergeant Pilot Bryan Young at Algiers, Algeria.
See 1999-058.5 for Bryan Young's information supplied.
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
3/4 front view of a captured Italian Savoia Marchetti SM82 in RAF colour scheme. Believed to be at Catania, Sicily, Italy.
Image from the Bryan Young personal collection.
Three No. 81 Squadron New Zealand pilots with their Fiat car in front of Spitfire JL188 FL-S at Gioia, Italy.
Bryan Young's information supplied "Location, date and aircraft same as for photo [1999-058.18]. The full squadron code on the aircraft can be clearly seen. From left to right Al Swann. Jim Robinson and self, all Kiwis. The motorcar, a Fiat, was one we purloined from the Italians as spoils of war. We shared its use."
