Brewster B-339 Buffalo, 805 Sqn. FAA, Crete, 1941
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Wow, this is a really old dog. It remembers me my beginnings. In Czechoslovakia Matchbox was very rare but one of the best kits in those years in the last century.
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The ancient 1974 Matchbox kit, reboxed with AMT branding in 1979.
Brewster B-239B Buffalo Serial AX814 was originally ordered by the Belgian Air Force but the order was taken over by the English after Belgium was occupied in 1940. AX814 was assigned to No. 805 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm and was sent to Egypt to provide fighter cover to the Eastern Mediterranean. With the Battle of Crete expected to unfold, three 805 Sqn. Buffaloes, AS419, AS420 and AX814, were sent to Heraklion Airfield on the besieged island. Unfortunately, only one sortie was flown in AS419, and it resulted in a loss of that aircraft in an accident. The other two aircraft, down for maintenance issues and awaiting spare parts were strafed and destroyed on the ground by the Luftwaffe.