" ...On 4 November 1944, 416 Sqn RCAF moved to Base 56 at Evere, Belgium, an ex-German Luftwaffe airfield. When the RCAF pilots flew their Spitfires into the former Luftwaffe base [5 November 1944] they found one abandoned Fw 190 fighter aircraft. Many photos were taken on or beside this enemy fighter, including four images by pilot Gordon Hill...
This became the first German fighter aircraft seen up close by most of the Canadian Spitfire pilots and they climbed all over the enemy fighter... A month later, the British Army came to remove the fighter and it blew-up. It had been booby trapped by the retreating German troops. A lesson learned the hard way by all pilots in 416 Squadron..."
From the Clarence Simonson blog 'Preserving the Past' " The making of a WWII RCAF Spitfire pilot"
Fw 190 A-8. WNr. 680883
(Best image I’ve seen of this machine, my collection via James V. Crow- click on the image to view large. Note that in the last two photos most ‘detachable’ parts of the airframe have gone!)
