During World War 2 the British managed to capture a great number of German aircraft, among them, many Messerschmitt Bf.110.
One of them, a Bf.110D (pictured below) was captured in Iraq, after the May 1941 campaign. This particular machine was abandoned in Mosul due to the lack of spare parts, which, just as many other Bf.110 of Sonderkommando Junck, made the machine not airworthy. In fact, by the date the Germans began their retreat from Iraq, there wasn't any Bf.110 in flying condition and were abandoned on the spot.
After the British forces entered Mosul many machines were captured and at least one machine was put into operational status by Royal Air Force's (RAF) mechanics by cannibalising parts from other aircraft.
With its new owners, this machine received the nickname of 'The Belle of Berlin' and was used as a communications aircraft and later as an unit 'hack' by No. 267 Squadron.
One of them, a Bf.110D (pictured below) was captured in Iraq, after the May 1941 campaign. This particular machine was abandoned in Mosul due to the lack of spare parts, which, just as many other Bf.110 of Sonderkommando Junck, made the machine not airworthy. In fact, by the date the Germans began their retreat from Iraq, there wasn't any Bf.110 in flying condition and were abandoned on the spot.
After the British forces entered Mosul many machines were captured and at least one machine was put into operational status by Royal Air Force's (RAF) mechanics by cannibalising parts from other aircraft.
With its new owners, this machine received the nickname of 'The Belle of Berlin' and was used as a communications aircraft and later as an unit 'hack' by No. 267 Squadron.
Another machine, this time a Bf.110C-4, belonging to 4. (H)/Aufklärungsgruppe 14 was intercepted over Sussex, England by fighters belonging to No. 238 Squadron on 21st July 1940. Its pilot, Oberleutnant Friedrich Karl Runde was taken prisoner and his machine was sent to the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) to be evaluated, after being repaired with pieces taken from another shot down Bf.100, coded 2N+EP.
The RAE gave the machine a new serial number; AX722 and new colours and, after performing handling trials it was flown to the Air Fighting Development unit at Duxford in October 1941 to be flown in mock-up aerial combats against British fighters.
In March 1942 this very same machine was sent to No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) flight, commonly known as the 'Rafwaffe'. It stayed there until January 1945 when it was sent to the Central Flying School at Tangmere, where it was employed as an educational airframe until November 1945 when it was transferred to No. 47 Maintenance Unit in Sealand until it was eventually scrapped in 1947.
The RAE gave the machine a new serial number; AX722 and new colours and, after performing handling trials it was flown to the Air Fighting Development unit at Duxford in October 1941 to be flown in mock-up aerial combats against British fighters.
In March 1942 this very same machine was sent to No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) flight, commonly known as the 'Rafwaffe'. It stayed there until January 1945 when it was sent to the Central Flying School at Tangmere, where it was employed as an educational airframe until November 1945 when it was transferred to No. 47 Maintenance Unit in Sealand until it was eventually scrapped in 1947.
After the war, a total of 37 Messerschmitt Bf.110 were captured by the British but only seven of them received RAF markings and serial numbers. One of them, a Bf.110G-4/R6, was equipped with a FuG.220 radar and was captured at Grove airfield, in Denmark.
This machine was part of 1/Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 and served in the night defence of Denmark and Northern Germany. It was given the serial number of 'AM34' and was later evaluated by the RAE. This aircraft is nowadays preserved at the RAF's museum in Hendon.
This machine was part of 1/Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 and served in the night defence of Denmark and Northern Germany. It was given the serial number of 'AM34' and was later evaluated by the RAE. This aircraft is nowadays preserved at the RAF's museum in Hendon.
Sources:
1st Scale Aviation Modeller International 2013-07
2nd Histoire & Collections - Avions et Pilotes 11 - Messerschmitt Bf.110 & Me.210-410 1939 -1945
3rd Wydawnictwo Militaria 71 Bf 110 vol.1
Further reading:
https://www.destinationsjourney.com/historical-military-photographs/messerschmitt-bf-110-in-british-service/
1st Scale Aviation Modeller International 2013-07
2nd Histoire & Collections - Avions et Pilotes 11 - Messerschmitt Bf.110 & Me.210-410 1939 -1945
3rd Wydawnictwo Militaria 71 Bf 110 vol.1
Further reading:
https://www.destinationsjourney.com/historical-military-photographs/messerschmitt-bf-110-in-british-service/
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