"COBBER" KAIN & THE CORONATION AIR PAGEANT 1937

 After the last "colourised photo" blogpost, an overdue riposte to restore the Very British balance:

A colourised photograph of F/O Newell "Fanny" Orton and F/O Edgar "Cobber" Kain DFC
relaxing between sorties, France 1940. The RAF uniforms are perhaps a little too blue, rather
than grey/blue, but a noble effort at colourisation all the same. The photograph must post-date
March 1940, as "Cobber" wears his DFC ribbon, awarded in that month. Orton is 'ribbonless"
in this photo, but was to receive his DFC in May 1940, and a bar in July 1940.

The original photograph. In true 1930s Very British style, Orton was raised in
Warwickshire, and Kain in New Zealand. By the end of their campaigns in France,
the two were the highest scoring "aces" of No.73 Squadron, companion to No.1 Squadron
in 67 Wing, Advanced Air Striking Force ("AASF").

Another colourisation - Kain leans against his Hurricane ("Paddy III") in France,  late 1939.
Here, his colourised RAF uniform is "just right".

A popular hero. This edition of "Modern World" dates to 27th April 1940,
with Kain being promoted as "Britain's Air Ace No.1".

Unfortunately, both Kain and Orton would be dead within 18 months of the "colourised photograph" being taken. Kain (aged 21) was killed in a aerobatic accident on 7th June 1940, just as he prepared to leave France for the UK. Orton, wounded on 15th May 1940 when his Hurricane was shot down and thereafter repatriated to the UK before the end of the Battle of France, was subsequently appointed as Squadron Leader of No.54 Squadron and lost (aged 26) in an offensive "sweep" across France by the Hornchurch Wing on 17th September 1941.

And what does all this have to do with the Hereford VBCW, 1938?

Well, before No.73 Squadron flew Hurricanes, the squadron was equipped with Gloster Gladiators (re-equipment seems to have taken place in May 1938, making No.73 one of the earliest RAF squadrons to fly Hurricanes). Flying Gladiators, "Cobber" Kain and 73 Squadron took part in the 1937 Coronation Air Pageant at Hendon. Thankfully (for all VBCW fans) the news cameras were there :  see this stirring Pathe News 1937 Film of the 1937 Coronation Air Pageant, and cross- reference with this alternative version of the same event - another Pathe News 1937 Film. For followers of Edward VIII (then Prince of Wales), you can see him landing and getting out of his plane at the earlier (1934) Hendon Air Display HERE.

We have a very good idea of the "colours and markings" of Cobber Kain's pre-war Gladiator from the Shuttleworth Collection's own Gladiator - still flying above Bedfordshire - repainted in Kain's 1937 Coronation Air Pageant markings (K7985):

Cobber Kain's 1937/1938 Gladiator - Shuttleworth Collection

The same Gladiator was subsequently re-issued by Airfix in "Cobber" Kain's pre-war markings (now OOP, but still available on the 2nd hand market):

The Airfix 1/72 Kit of the Shuttleworth Collection - and therefore Cobber Kain's - pre war Gladiator.

So we know what aircraft "Cobber" would have been flying in 1938 (obviously before re-equipment of his squadron, no doubt delayed by the outbreak of the VBCW), but we have no idea which side, if any, No.73 Squadron would have taken upon the outbreak of "our" Civil War. Still, it is not hard to imagine a young "colonial" like Cain continuing to support "his King" and stunting above Herefordshire, perhaps crossing swords (or machine guns) across the tabletop with Herefordshire's premier aviator, Randolph Trafford, in a 1/72 battle for air supremacy....

Notes:

[1]. "Cobber" Kain's WIKI page is HERE. His body is buried at the Choloy Military Cemetary, near Nancy. "Fanny" Orton's WIKI page is HERE. He has no known grave.

[2]. For the Shuttleworth Collection's WIKI page, see HERE, For the history of the Shuttleworth Collection's Gladiators, see HERE.

[3]. The second Pathe News Film of 1937 contains rare footage [at 3.36 on] of two very new "RAF types" - the Supermarine Spitfire and its "fighter interceptor" competitor, the Vickers Venom.

[4]. For those who insist on the "latest kit" for the VBCW, or wish to meddle in France 1940 wargames, Corgi also issued a (diecast) 1/72 version of "Cobber" Kain's 1940 Hurricane, Paddy III, within their "Aviation Archive" series:

[5]. Add edit - Matchbox's long OOP version of the Gladiator was also issued in No.73 markings, but with number K7984 rather than Cobber's K7985. Still, an ideal companion piece for the 1937 1/72 Coronation Air Pageant!