In four long years of operations during WWII

76 Squadron flew over 5000 bombing sorties,

all on Halifaxes, during the course of which it
lost 155 aircraft with almost 1100 aircrew
killed or taken prisoner. The motto of ‘Resolute’

FINDING DEFIANT N3333

and the white rose of York being particularly
apt for this Yorkshire based squadron.

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ARCHAEOLOGY

In June 2018 a team of aircraft recovery

experts assembled in a remote field south of
Lincoln to try to find the remains of a Boulton
Paul Defiant that crashed there some 77
years previously. The entire dig was filmed for
the new series of WWII Treasure Hunters and
will be shown on 19 November in the UK. Here
is the behind the scenes story of Boulton Paul
Defiant N3333 and its recent recovery.

I
n the early hours of 4 May 1941 P/O Arthur
Alexander ‘Sandy’ Ballantine and his gunner
Sgt Chris Madsen were on patrol in Defiant
N3333 YD-B of 255 Squadron when suddenly
their aircraft was hit in the engine by an
unseen enemy aircraft. With the engine in
flames and losing power, both men baled
out of the aircraft, leaving it to dive into the
ground at Nocton Fen south of Lincoln.
Over the next few days, the RAF recovery
crew cleared the area of surface wreckage but
elected to leave most of the wereckage in the
hole and just fill it in as there was little point in
salvaging the mangled remains, especially as
there were no bodies to recover.
And there the wreckage remained for 77
years until recovery expert Gareth Jones
pinpointed the crash site using his years of
experience and contemporary maps showing
old field boundaries. With a large radar return
showing under the earth, a dig was organised
and the WWII Treasure Hunters team headed
by Suggs from 80s pop group Madness, was
invited to film the events. To add a poignancy
to the occasion, the pilot’s daughter flew
in from Canada to see her father’s aircraft
P/O ‘Sandy’ Ballantine in the cockpit of his Defiant at Kirton in Lindsey, spring 1941.
reappear again after so many years.

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THE BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT

ARCHAEOLOGY
In the 1930s strategists of air combat had Leader Philip Hunter, the Commanding Officer
predicted that vast armadas of bombers would of the first Defiant squadron, No.264, firmly
be used in any future war without any fighter believed that if properly handled the Defiant
protection. In this prediction they were to be could hold its own, even against Me109s. As
proved wrong, but in 1935 an RAF specification we know now, this proved not to be the case
was issued to aircraft manufacturers to design and by 28th August 1940 roughly half of all
a ‘turret fighter’ that would fly below the the Defiants delivered had been shot down.
helpless bombers and shoot them down. The two Defiant squadrons, 264 and 141,
In reality the Luftwaffe bombers of 1940 were moved away from the heat of the Battle
rarely flew operations during the day without of Britain and the ‘turret fighter’ experiment
a fighter escort, but the RAF had its ‘turret seemed to have been a dismal failure.
fighter’ and they would use it! Squadron
Two squadrons bore the brunt of the daylight fighting in the Defiant during the Battle of Britain, 141
Squadron above and 264 Squadron below. Both suffered heavy casualties despite the best efforts of
their crews.

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 HERO OF THE NIGHT SKIES
RAF FIGHTER NIGHT VICTORY CLAIMS SPRING 1941
ARCHAEOLOGY

Although a role as night fighter had as a stop-gap measure and had considerable
originally been envisaged little attention had success. The Defiant seemed far better, Blenheim Beaufighter Defiant Hurricane Spitfire
been paid to it. 141 Squadron had made leaving the pilot to concentrate on flying and March 41 4 21 8 5 2
the first night patrols as early as July 1940, the gunner to keep a good all-round lookout. April 41 1 40 19 15 2
but it was not until the night of 17th-18th Once spotted, the pilot could creep up on the May 41 0 56 49 32 9
September that the first confirmed Defiant unsuspecting bomber from below and the
night victory was made. A Ju88 of 3/KG54 was gunner blast it with his four machine guns. Far
shot down over Maidstone by Sgt Laurence from being consigned to the scrap heap, seven
and his gunner Sgt Chard in Defiant N6988 of squadrons were equipped with Defiants at the
141 Squadron flying from Biggin Hill. height of the night Blitz and it formed a vital was not fitted to operational Mk. IAs until Below: A 256 Squadron Defiant
As the Luftwaffe turned its attention to the part of Britain’s night defence. November 1941, by which time the Blitz completely painted in ‘Lamp Black’
night ‘Blitz’ the need for an effective night An analysis of ‘victory claims’ at the peak of the was long over. This put them at a distinct matt paint for night operations.
fighter became urgent. The Spitfire had been Blitz shows how well it performed (see table): disadvantage to the Radar-equipped, 20mm
tried, but night-flying accidents were frequent The F Mk.I Defiants needed little cannon armed, Beaufighters that would
and it was generally unsuitable. The Hurricane, modification for the NF Mk.IA night fighter gradually replace the Defiants. The first Defiant
a more forgiving aircraft with sturdier role; the only external difference being the NF Mk.IIs with AI Mk.IV and Merlin XX engines
undercarriage for bumpy landings, was better change to ‘flame damper’ exhausts. ‘Radar’ did not go into service until January 1942.

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 DEFIANT N3333 YD-B

ARCHAEOLOGY
In early December 1940, Boulton Paul It is in these colours that N3333 became
Defiant N3333 was delivered to the newly famous as the subject of an Airfix 1/72 scale
reformed 255 Squadron at Kirton in Lindsey model kit although she probably only looked
as it re-equipped as a night fighter squadron, like this for a few weeks before being totally
tasked with the defence of local cities such as repainted all over using non-reflective ‘Matt
Hull and Lincoln. She was originally delivered Black’ or ‘Lamp Black’ officially designated
in the day fighter scheme of dark green and RDM 2A. This exceptionally dull ‘sooty’ paint
dark earth uppersurfaces with sky undersides, did not weather well and the aircraft soon
as can be seen in the photo to the left where took on a very battered appearance as can be
she was captured on film at Duxford attending seen below.
a Fighter Tactics Conference in the hands of Keen eyes will also spot that the serial
New Zealander Flt Lt Richard Trousdale, a number has been repainted in red and also the
Battle of Britain Spitfire ace. three exhaust stubs have been exchanged for
six with flame damping fillets to reduce the
glare at night.
Also in the photograph below, a flying pig
has been outlined just forward of the cockpit.
This pig was eventually filled in as can be seen
in photographs later in this article.

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 DEFIANT N3333 YD-B
ARCHAEOLOGY

This selection of photos of N3333 show the development of her paintwork

during the early spring of 1941. Top and middle right show the Defiant before
the outline pig was filled in, bottom right shows the ‘coloured in’ flying pig and
paint scuffing under the nose.
Below you can see the letter B has been painted on both wing leading edges, a
detail not present when the middle right photo was taken. The presence of the
rare YD coded Hurricane in the
background dates this picture
to no earlier than March 1941
when the squadron received five
Hurricanes to supplement
the Defiants.

Below you can see a close up

of the flying pig nose art before
having colour applied.

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