Fighting Cocks squadron emblem?
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Fighting Cocks squadron emblem?
Back in the 50's I went to several airshows at Leuchars as a very young lad when 43 Squadron, the Fighting Cocks, was equipped with Meteors.
I came across a photo from that era when digitising some of my photographs. Taken with a miniature camera using 120 or 126 b&w film and only contact prints were made to save my pocket money.
It shows a Meteor with a pugnacious logo on the front - https://www.flickr.com/photos/73571158@N00/534943107/
I assumed that this was the standard 43 Squadron insignia until I was reading about the US 67th Fighter Squadron and realised that it was a reversed copy of their patch. http://oldafsarge.********.co.uk/201...by-16-may.html
Does anyone have an idea how this ended up on a Meteor in Scotland?
Perhaps an early 'tag' by visiting US airmen (always a lot of US planes participating back then)?
I came across a photo from that era when digitising some of my photographs. Taken with a miniature camera using 120 or 126 b&w film and only contact prints were made to save my pocket money.
It shows a Meteor with a pugnacious logo on the front - https://www.flickr.com/photos/73571158@N00/534943107/
I assumed that this was the standard 43 Squadron insignia until I was reading about the US 67th Fighter Squadron and realised that it was a reversed copy of their patch. http://oldafsarge.********.co.uk/201...by-16-may.html
Does anyone have an idea how this ended up on a Meteor in Scotland?
Perhaps an early 'tag' by visiting US airmen (always a lot of US planes participating back then)?
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I am not an expert on 43 squadron, but I think they used the "cartoon" fighting cock as an alternative in the '50 and '60
There are some pictures in this thread
43 Squadron 'Fighting Cocks'
Cheers
Paolo
There are some pictures in this thread
43 Squadron 'Fighting Cocks'
Cheers
Paolo
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Excellent link!
Looks as though both squadrons (as well as others) used the same artwork, so presumably it was created by someone else and 'borrowed' by all of them.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Looks as though both squadrons (as well as others) used the same artwork, so presumably it was created by someone else and 'borrowed' by all of them.
Thanks for clearing that up.
Pa was stationed at Leuchars 1957 - 59 and I can remember seeing the Hunters with the Fighting cock on the nose. I can also recall walking to school in the village past the station entrance where there used to be Bantam cocks strutting around in a cage and I'm fairly sure that there was an owl in a cage too - presumably kept by 151 who were the Javelin squadron night fliers (I think).
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Found several references claiming that the 67th Squadron patch was specially designed for them by Walt Disney in 1942.
This is very similar to a character in a cartoon made in 1935 which would confirm the Disney link.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/qVMFgJ...ent;autoplay=1
http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media...071220-005.jpg
The attitude of the patch is very similar to the cock on top of the cup in the opening frames of the cartoon.
This is very similar to a character in a cartoon made in 1935 which would confirm the Disney link.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/qVMFgJ...ent;autoplay=1
http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media...071220-005.jpg
The attitude of the patch is very similar to the cock on top of the cup in the opening frames of the cartoon.
