Personal Aircraft

[mgh 89]

The Times reports the death of Wing Commander Buster Briggs who, when commanding a squadron of glider-towing tugs in France after D-Day came across an damaged Hurricane 2B fighter on an abandoned airfield, and had his own fitters repair it. He flew it as his own personal aircraft - until someone in Fighter Command discovered his acquistion and demanded it back.A similar thing happened at the beginning of the war. Squadron Leader Harry Broadhurt's squadrom had to abandon its airfield in France. Broadhurst was shot up on the way back to England and crashed at Northolt where his Hurricane was abandoned. He realised that all the paperwork was lost or destroyed so had the Hurricane taken away and repaired - putting the monogram HB on the sides. He continued to use it even when he was appointed to command a wing of Spitfires - he'd managed to get it fitted with the latest Merlin with a two-stage supercharger. Eventually, someone spotted the lone Hurricane amongst the Spitfires. However, because there was no paper-trail it took months to sort out and was only resolved by taking out the engine (which did have some paper-work) and quietly scrapping the airframe.

[delta november 0]

Hear Hear: Jolly good show Wot? Men after me own heart! DN