Visit this website to see pictures of British Hawker Hurricane Mark IIb fighter – BE208.
Two show it in RAF markings, crashed in Singapore Feb., 1942. The 3rd is with it decked in Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) livery, dated 1943.
Manufactured in either Hawker’s Langley or Brooklands factory, the website outlines how the Hurricane ended up in Japanese hands after Singapore’s fall.
To my surprise my father – Flt Sgt. Ron Chapman of (xxx)- played a 6,000km part in its long journey from the UK to Asia.
He, and the plane, arrived in West Africa Nov-Dec, 1941. As a ferry pilot, he tested the re-assembled Hurricane and then flew it in a series of ‘hops’ over dense African jungle, across searing desert and then along the lush Nile Delta to Cairo, Egypt arriving Dec 20, 1941.
My 12-part podcast ‘Blighty Thank God’, available on Apple and Spotify, tells stories I found and researched in his lost war diary.
Flt Sgt Chapman flew the single-seater plane in support of the North Africa campaign. But planes were also desperately needed to defend Singapore.
After delivery to Cairo the plane, and 232 Squadron, were diverted to Indonesia arriving Feb,1942.
Days after being promoted to 232 Sq/Ldr ,‘Rickey’ Brooker, was shot down in BE208 as he attacked Japanese bombers. He force landed in a ditch. The Hurricane was captured, repaired, flown and tested by the IJAAF.
The IJAAF pilot would have found the Hurricane dived faster and had better pilot protection than the Japanese Zero; but the Zero could out climb, out turn and out run the Hurricane – not a good combination.