Royal Air Force RAF No 155 Squadron

Curtiss Mohawk MkIV RAF 155Sqn B BS798 India 1943

Photo 01: These Mohawks of No 155Sqn BS798 B, BT470 F and AR691 I formate in August 1943 near Agartala, shortly before moving north to Imphal. They are camouflaged in dark earth and dark green with medium sea grey undersides and interim yellow-outlined blue/white roundels. All have yellow wingtips for recognition. The nearest aircraft B8798 B was flown by Flg Off Harry Bishop in the Mohawks' final air battle on 9 November 1943

Curtiss Mohawk MkIV RAF 155Sqn F BT470 India 1943

Photo 01: These Mohawks of No 155Sqn BS798 B, BT470 F and AR691 1 formate in August 1943 near Agartala, shortly before moving north to Imphal. They are camouflaged in dark earth and dark green with medium sea grey undersides and interim yellow-outlined blue/white roundels. All have yellow wingtips for recognition. The nearest aircraft B8798 B was flown by Flg Off Harry Bishop in the Mohawks' final air battle on 9 November 1943

Photo source: Page 84 of Osprey P-36 Hawk Aces of World War 2 - Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 86 ISBN 978-1-84603-409-1

Curtiss Mohawk MkIV RAF 155Sqn V AR677 flown by Tony Dunford India 1943

Curtiss Mohawk MkIV RAF 155Sqn Z BB928 Pilot Jefferies India 1943 00

Profile 00: Mohawk IV BB928 Cymru am Byth of No 155 Sqn, flown by Sqn Ldr 'Porky' Jefferies, Agartala, Bengal, India, January 1943. One of the few aces to use the Mohawk operationally, 'Porky' Jefferies was the only one to make an air-to-air claim. He became an ace flying Hurricanes over Malta during 1941, and in India in late 1942 was given command of Mohawk equipped No 155 Sqn. During a fighter sweep to Akyab on 28 January 1943, a solitary Ki-43 dived on them and, giving chase, Jefferies fired and hit the fighter, which has been variously credited as destroyed and a probable. BB928 was struck off charge on 29 February 1944.

Curtiss Mohawk MkIV RAF 155Sqn Z BB928 Pilot Jefferies India 1943 01

Mohawk BB928 Z was the personal aircraft of Sqn Ldr 'Porky' Jefferies DFC of No 155 Sqn in January 1943. Like other squadron aircraft, it has personal nose art - in this case a fire-breathing Welsh dragon above the inscription Cymru am Byth. What makes this aircraft unique is that it is the only Mohawk known to have carried a 'scoreboard'. Jefferies had claims against both the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica, and appears to have recorded both his confirmed and probable claims. His sole Japanese claim, variously noted as confirmed and probable, is also recorded. He was the only ace to make an air-to-air claim with the Mohawk (Paul Sortehaug via B Gulf)

Curtiss Mohawk MkIV RAF 155Sqn A BS374 Imphal India 1943 IWM CI1892

Flying Officer T H Meyer of No. 155 Squadron RAF, preparing to take off on a sortie from Imphal, Burma, in Curtiss Mohawk Mark IV, BS374 'Joe Soap II', with 20-lb fragmentation bombs loaded underneath the wings.

Photo source: Imperial War Museum IWM CI 1892 https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205209729