Most units of the Royal Air Force (RAF) are identified by a two character alphabetical or alpha- numeric combination squadron code. Usually, that code is painted on the aircraft belonging to that unit. The squadron code is usually presented along with an individual letter or character to form a call sign for the particular aircraft. Location of the call sign combination has usually been on the rear fuselage next to the RAF roundel.
Hinds Crash Site
Grant Halstead was managing the Kangaroo Flats Training Area for the ADF in 2019 when he visited William Torrens Hinds crash site on the 21st of July that year, to organise approval for the Hinds family members to visit the site on the 2nd of August. Grant noted that, “there was not a lot there, just a large debris field over the top of the large rock escarpment”
Members of the visiting family included Michael Horsfall (Bill Hinds nephew) from the UK, Ms Diane Hinds (William’s 1st cousin, once removed) and Mr Vlad Aleksandric, Diane’s husband, from Canberra.
The Search for the DL Code
Grant is currently (in 2023) constructing a model of Hinds Mark V Spitfire on the day that he crashed, in September 1943, and has the EF558 serial number but hasn’t yet found any record of the DL letter code that 54 Squadron carried that would allow him to complete the aircraft model.
ADF Serials Research
Gordon Birkett, One of the Founders of ADF Serials has come up with the following information to narrow down the search.
All 54 Squadron Spitfires used on the 6th September 1943 (Several flights) and lined up below with known Code Letters (Remembering DL-* is unknown Code Letter) (Note also, A58 numbers didn’t come in until November 1943)
On the fateful day, 6th September 1943, Bill Hinds was part of 4 aircraft, Red Section as Red 3
Foster BR539 DL-X Red 1
Farries JL382 DL-U Blue 1
Powell EE605 DL-P Red 4
Whalley BR484 DL-V Red 2
Mahoney BS220 DL-* Yellow ?
Monger BS218 DL-L
Lenagen BS181 DL-J
Hinds EF588 DL-* Red 3
Huggard BS164 DL-K
Allden EF556 DL-A
Allden BS164 DL-K
Whalley BR484 DL-V
Lenagen BS181 DL-J
Norwood LZ846 DL-U
Appleton BR544 DL-V (Earlier A)
Leonard BR532 DL-B
Ashby BS166 DL-W White 4
Spencer BR545 DL-E “Ivy” White 2
Holmes BR570 DL-F Blue 4
Eldred ES305 DL-*
Horkin EE636 DL-D
Appleton BR544 DL-V(Earlier A)
Spencer BR545 DL-E “Ivy”
Spare/reserve/broken aircraft parked
EF560 DL-M
AR564 DL-L
BS183 DL-S
EE837 DL-T (Flown 01/09/43 by Farries)
EE669 DL-B
Hinds was with B Flight and so we are down to four possibles. Perhaps just three if Red Flight Letters reflect the in between or last missing, “R”, “Y” and “Z”.
(or the Squadron Code Letters are reversed issued in the flights and it’s A Flight)
So, collectively for the day, we’re missing the following Letters per flights (Remembering that I, O and Q are not normally used in RAF Coding)
A Flight “C”/”G”/”N”
B Flight “R”/”Y”/”Z”
So that’s where we are at, near on 80 years hence…either DL-R, DL-Y and DL-Z as the possible suspects.
If only Hinds had flown on the 20th June 1943 (following Raid 55), he would have been listed on this Armament Report with the DL Codes listed in the first column.
The Serial Numbers of the above aircraft are listed below against the DL Code from the first column.
DL-A/BR544, DL-P/EE605, 166/BS166(no codes), DL-X/BR539, DL-S/BS182, DL-U/BS235, DL-V/BR484, DL-B/BR532, DL-H/JG795(crash landed Lee Point), DL-F/BR570, DL-G/EE636, DL-L/BR530
Further research by Gordon showed a picture of DL-Z with a picture of the pilot, a Flight Lieutenant, that was not Hinds, so it’s not DL-Z. Another possible could be DL-U, so that now leaves DL-R, DL-U and DL-Y as the possibilities.
See Link at the bottom of this page for a list of other Spitfires flown by Bill Hinds.
Grant Halstead has been working through some internet photos and lots of books that he has and had seen that DL-Y was BS181 somewhere and is looking for the reference. So we might be down to DL-R or DL-U?
Until better information comes to hand, Grant has decided to use the Code DL-R to complete his model of Bill Hinds’ Spitfire.
It would be good to come across an actual photograph of Hinds aircraft to clarify this puzzle. Maybe there is a collection of photos out there similar to the Harry Holley collection that could just contain such a photo.
A special thanks to Gordon Birkett – One of the founding members of ADF Aircraft Serial Numbers, for his active research on this story. ADF Serials – RAAF A58 Supermarine Spitfire,.http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a58.htm
Gordon took up Aviation research to get the facts straight on the RAAF and USAAF deployments to the Pacific theatre, with particular focus on the early 1942 period. He has provided specific details on aircraft and pilots to specialist authors throughout the years. Gordon is a founding member of ADF Serials and has been their research co-ordinator in WW2 aircraft. He is also a member of the Queensland Air Museum, Caloundra, and a research contributor in assisting pro-bona, authors, websites and the Australian War Memorial who regularly request his assistance in researching WW2 operations and wrecks.
Thanks to Grant Halstead for initiating this research and thanks also to Bob Alford (Darwin Aviation Historical Society), Peter Dunn OAM (Oz at War) and Sarah Weatherhead-Kous (Author of “A Squadron Diarist’s Year At Nightcliff Camp: WWII Darwin”) for their assistance with this search.
A Spitfire over Darwin 