Spitfire Mk II | Dunkirk Evacuation 1940

Spitfire Mk II (Rhubarb), RAF No.54 Squadron, Dunkirk Evacuation-France 1940

White-Night Rhubarb
Spitfire Mk II of British Royal Air Force No.54 squadron during cross-channel evacuation of encircled British and French forces at Dunkirk-France, May 1940.

1.48 1990s-era Monogram model kit, upper painted in RAF hard edge patterns of medium brown and dark green, bottom painted solid white and black partition for ease of air and ground recognition.

Depicted Spitfire KL-N fighter model piloted by Commonwealth Pilot Officer Colin Gray from New Zealand, scoring his first victory on 24 May 1940 over Dunkirk beachhead.

About 350,000 British and French soldiers were rescued during week-long operation, but all their heavy equipments were lost. Rescue efforts gave significant boost to sagging Allied morale at that time.

Nevertheless, French lost about 700,000 soldiers (killed, wounded, captured) during month-long German Blitzkrieg.

A peculiarity was significant numbers of rescued French soldiers insisted on returning to German-occupied France by Summer 1940, and either joined pro-German Vichy France forces or became German POWs.

« more info & photo »

http://uwemilitaria.org/3-Aerial/DunkirkRhubarb