Hurricane Z3470 captured at Cherbourg

An interesting photo of a Hurricane, Z3470 is being offered on sale at https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385566133495 by seller miro-antik2012 . The photo has the caption :

Original / Foto, SFH. Cherbourg E 111/XI, Beute Flugzeug Hawker Hurricane, 1943 (G)50807

The Germans seem to be transporting the aircraft across a small channel of water using floor boards.

While the serial in the photo is obscured, it is clear it is Z347.. with the last digit obscured, but its easy to pin the history. Only one Hurricane fits the bill – Hurricane Z3470

It appears that it was lost on 26th October 1941 when being flown by Plt Off Brian Leonard George HAWKINS (88874). Who appeared to have evaded capture. (And perhaps was mentioned in despatches for it). Hawkins was flying on a rhubarb sortie over France between 1140 and 1300 hours and failed to return.

The F540 for 245 Squadron has a very detailed write up on the loss of Hawkin and Hurricane Z3470

The photograph shows it being salvaged by Germans, with the undercarriage deployed in a wheels down landing.

An earlier photo of the aircraft does exist and it appears it did a wheels up landing. What is notable in both the photographs is that it appears that a large chunk of the vertical stabilizer is missing, perhaps shot away during the attack.

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