Corgi AA32806 De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk VI Royal Air Force RF594/C No211 Squadron, Bangkok, 1945

This item has a limited edition certificate included. Having reformed in a day bomber role in 1937, 211 squadron embarked for the Middle East in April 1938, arriving at Helwan in May. It undertook its first operations of the war in June 1940, following the declaration of war by Italy. Missions were mounted against Italian targets in Libya and continued until November 1940 when sent to assist the Greeks following the Italian invasion of that country. Moving to Palestine it re-equipped and then took part in the operation to capture Syria from the Vichy French, after which it moved south to the Sudan, where it undertook operational training duties as part of No 72 OTU from November. Re-established in its own right the following month it embarked for the Far East, destined for Singapore, and then redirected to Sumatra, from where it operated until mid-February, when it moved to Java. Here it disbanded on 19th Febrauary 1942. The squadron reformed again on 14 August 1943 at Phaphamau, and began operations on 13 January 1944, carrying out rocket and cannon attacks against river craft and other lines of communications. These operations continued until May 1945, when the squadran was withdrawn to India. Here it re-equipped with Mosquito FBVIs, which it was due to utilise in the projected invasion of Malaya. However, the invasion never took place, owing to the Japanese surrender and as a result the squadron re-located to Bangkok in Siam (Thailand) in September 1945 and disbanded at Don Muang on 15 March 1946. These FB IV's were overall aluminium doped and carried balck SEAC recognition markings which were specified for aircraft in light or silver finish and the serial number was repeated on the fin above the two-tone flash.