29 sqn question

[NIGHTFIGHTER]

Yes this is where i feel really silly, Because despite being based at coningsby from 81-87 i never did ask why it is 29 Sqn are called just that, when the unit markings clearly add up to 30. There must be some reason for it, perhaps someone could explain...Many thanks gary

[boff180]

The story I was told harks back to when 29 squadron was originally formed.

The squadron commander instructed the paint shop to paint the Roman numerals for 29 on their aircraft. However it was a written instruction which read....

"XX AND ONE X"

The paint shop misinterpreted this and painted XXX instead of XXIX which has been used ever since.

Then again, if you believe Wikipedia the story I told was a load of cobblers and the XXX has nothing to do with Roman Numerals but instead refers to a beer and the slogan "extra strong"!

Maybe someone from 29sqn can clarify?

Andy

[IanOlder]

Linked with Sqn flying the Mosquito XXX ?

[effects]

When 29 operated the Siskin 1928- they had XXX in red with a red stripe above and below,
Demon 1935 XX in red with a red stripe above and below,
Meteor 1951 XXX either side of the roundel in a red box.
As for that tale about the painters, all of the Sqn bosses I have known would have demanded a repaint!
when I was on 54(F) the painters were applying the first stickers to be used (£500 a set), they had applied the stbd ones and the lion was facing backwards, I pointed this out to the painter who informed me they would both face backward, it did not really dawn on him that they also could have faced forward if he had got the first one right! I then asked the boss if he had seen the new artwork, he had not so I suggested a walk through the hangar, result sticker off new set applied correctly, I just wish the Sentry lot would get it sorted!!!

[Ruislip Rustler]

It also harks back to the days when squadrons painted markings oin their aircraft to enable identification in combat situations - 17 Sqn with their chevrons, various fighter squadrons with their checkerboards, 2 Sqn with triangles and the circle etc.

Some have survived the test of time (as above), others have passed into black and white photos only...

[Davef68]

The story I was told harks back to when 29 squadron was originally formed.

The squadron commander instructed the paint shop to paint the Roman numerals for 29 on their aircraft. However it was a written instruction which read....

"XX AND ONE X"

The paint shop misinterpreted this and painted XXX instead of XXIX which has been used ever since.

Then again, if you believe Wikipedia the story I told was a load of cobblers and the XXX has nothing to do with Roman Numerals but instead refers to a beer and the slogan "extra strong"!

Maybe someone from 29sqn can clarify?

Andy

The XX and one X story had validity for many years until someone turned up a photo of an early 29 aircraft (Might have been a Snipe or a Grebe, can't recall which) that had FOUR black 'X' on it! (So the extra strong story is bollox as well!).

The adoption of the three Xs seems to have been related to how many could comfortably fit alongside the fuselage on the squadron markings, the red colour seems to have been so that each squadron on the base had a different colour and style of marking. The article was in the Aeroplane, I have it at home, I'll look it out later.

[Jimbo27]

We've had this question before, link is in this thread;

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=40111

It dates back to WW1, as Ruislip Rustler has said.

[Davef68]

We've had this question before, link is in this thread;

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=40111

It dates back to WW1, as Ruislip Rustler has said.

Ah, Jefford's article has the Grebe pic I was referring to (on page 64).

I hadn't seen the details of the 6 Gp/ADGB papers before. - the Aeroplane article didn't cover those. I think it's fair to say, whilst inspired by the WW1 markings, 29s really have their origin in the 6 Group proposals of 1924.

Thanks for the link.

[NIGHTFIGHTER]

Thanks alot guys, sorry didn't know it had been covered before. I should have asked while i was with them back in the days but never got round to it. But it has sorted out something that had bothered me for some time...again thanks to everyone