Aircraft colours 8 B&GS Evanton

[Fred J Crawley]

I am making models of various aircraft my late father flew in, one of which was a Westland Wallace whilst training in 1939 with 8 B&GS at RAF Evanton. Would anyone know the colours of this aircraft? would it be the same as later Tiger Moth's i.e. camouflage on top with yellow underneath?

[Graham Boak]

Air Britain's The K file has a photo of two examples of 8 Air Observers School BGS, K6085 and K8700, in precisely that scheme. The yellow goes halfway up the cowling, but up to the rim of the gunner's position on the fuselage. There is a small fairing under the fuselage, presumable a more compact version of the target-towing equipment seen on an earlier example? The serials are white on the rudder, with the K above the number, and in a single line in black on the fuselage. There does not appear to be any unit codes, but there are two dark slightly fuzzy vertical lines aft of the gunner's cockpit on both, up to the camouflage.

I have seen other photos of obsolescent aircraft in training schools in a very similar scheme, with the yellow going well up the fuselage sides. On the Tiger Moth it appears to have been more commonly only half-way. Slightly later in the war it was moved down to the pure undersides.

[Fred J Crawley]

many thanks, you have been a great help