Almost overhead...

P-47D Nellie B was doing aeros to the south of Warbirdskies base yesterday, as well as a pass-by the previous day by the newly repainted P-51D G-SHWN, no longer "Shark Mouth" KH774, but now in markings of Don Blakeslee of the 4th FG USAAF.

Didn't manage to get a photo of G-SHWN and her new look had me confused until I read a post by Peter Green/Warbirdapps with a distant shot of it landing back at Duxford.

While I get the importance of the role of the 334th, 335th, and 336th Fighter Squadrons of the 4th Fighter Group based at RAF Debden, and it's achievements (first fighter group to fly combat missions over German airspace, the first to escort bombers over Berlin, and the first selected to escort bombers on shuttle bombing runs landing in Russia) and over a thousand enemy aircraft claimed.  Also Donald Blakeslee started his wartime flying as a member of 401 Sqn RCAF then 133 Eagle Sqn RAF, I'm sad that we have lost the only RAF marked Mustang (IV) flying in the world.

I know paint jobs come and go at the whims of the owners and as the old retort goes, "when you own a warbird you can paint it any colour you want". Hopefully, one day the UK skies will again be the playground of a RAF marked Mustang...

Image ©Warbirdapps/Peter Green