Yes XV 179 in her original coat and in happier days. I served through all the losses except 179 by which time I had retired. I was sent pics of the wreckage XV 180 (which I do not intend to show) by someone unknown and without a covering note. My first instinct was to destroy them but they are a part of the 'K''s history and 'there but for the grace of god' and a salutary reminder that it was not all skittles and beer.
This pic is connected to the Herc thread because the Herc replaced it in RAF service and provided a quantum jump in capability. It was taken at Palisadoes Airport in Jamaica where we stopped after taking some of the Belize garrison to Grand Cayman for R and R. We hired the Minor convertible( have you seen how much they cost these days ?) to tour the island. It was far ahead of its time as it had slick tyres long before they got to F1. Inevitably we had a puncture just outside a village in the Blue Mountains. As we were changing the tyre two local Rasta chaps came up to us. Trouble we thought. During the rather terse conversation one of them asked if we were RAF . We confessed to this fact and the mood changed immediately. He had lived in the UK and had served his National Service in the RAF !. Not only that he had been stationed at RAF Yatesbury where I had completed my Air Radar Fitters course. So whist the rest of the crew changed the wheel my new found friend and I discussed life at 'Stalag Luft' Yatesbury. Job done we went on our way.
It was a small world even then.
Pleasantly surprised that others seem to be enjoying the pics and the tales.