11 Squadron RCAF Hudson

[sagindragin]

here you go guys,

thanks for your help.

[SBARC]

My sister's husband's Dad was a navigator on a Hudson during WW2 (RCAF)......he always jokingly referred to it as the "Mighty Hudson". They once spotted an FW-190 off in the distance.......but the FW-190 didn't go after them......good thing......they wouldn't have stood much of a chance.

Steve B

[Bob Perry]

Nice one. Do you have any more information on that cage over the turret hole? It looks as if it might house a flexible gun?

I wonder if it came off another type or was a one=off?

[sagindragin]

hi bob,

nope, that is all i have, gleaned from that one picture.

reading the book it sound like the first ones were delivered without turrets, so i think this is a home brew, i wondered if it came of something else, B18 Digby? or a ??????

[Bob Perry]

Looking closely at the photograph, it appears narrower than the opening and not at all round. I still think it carried a flexible gun, facing aft. Could it have been a canopy off something else? I've been digging through my picture files, nothing so far. I was hoping for Goblin pieces but that was not to be.

The Canadian machines were from the first production batch. I've always assumed the BP turrets were installed at Speke after the boat trip from the States (borne out by the ferrying scenes of later Hudsons in Captains of the Clouds) but that leaves me wondering how the others in the photograph got their turrets. Presumably the airframes were delivered direct to the RCAF from production. Perhaps the turrets had been shipped here for installation.

All this speculating and I suppose we will eventually find out that the original turret was damaged or never received and the replacement was a product of local initiative, Murphy's Law at work. Until then, I have a scheme for that Airfix kit in the stash.

Edited September 19, 2007 by Bob Perry

[andyf117]

I've always assumed the BP turrets were installed at Speke after the boat trip from the States (borne out by the ferrying scenes of later Hudsons in Captains of the Clouds) but that leaves me wondering how the others in the photograph got their turrets. Presumably the airframes were delivered direct to the RCAF from production. Perhaps the turrets had been shipped here for installation.

All this speculating and I suppose we will eventually find out that the original turret was damaged or never received and the replacement was a product of local initiative, Murphy's Law at work. Until then, I have a scheme for that Airfix kit in the stash. :D

I believe all export Hudsons reached their users without turrets, these being delivered separately to be fitted locally - the RAAF machines sent direct to the squadrons in Singapore, for instance, had their B-P turrets installed there, whilst the rest had theirs fitted in Australia....

....As the US Navy squadron which flew Hudsons from the eastern seaboard had B-P units on their 20 aircraft, presumably some were delivered to the US (maybe via Canada?) - US Army Air Force versions, though, had 'open' fairings initially, followed later by factory-installed Martin turrets a la PV-1 Ventura....