Question

First... Hello to everyone posting here!
Second... this is my first post, I had not a lot of time to read every post here around so I' don't know if I'm placing a qustion that had is answer previusly.
Third... I'm Italian so... sorry for mispellings and errors in my english.

Well... time to put my question... Many years ago i came across a publication from Atlas, here in Italy was named "Mach 1". I saw a picture of four Aircos D.H.2 and the captios said that the first one was the one flown by Capt. Hawker VC at Vert Galand, August 1916. Was an interesting subject so, considering that the basic camouflage looked as a standard D.H.2 was not a problem to make a skin for Red Baron 2. The thing that make the difference was the rudder fin flash and, apparently, the upper wing roundels. Apparently a white 1 was applied on the nose and the nacelle roundel was a standard one.
The unusual markings were, as I said, the upper wing roundels and the fin flash that, apparently, looked as the national colours were painted in different order, white, blue and red in place of the usual blue, white and red.
Now... same time ago, looking aound in a store of used books I came across a copy of Osprey/Airwar - 014 - British Fighter Units - Western Front 1914-16 by Mr. Alex Revell and I found the same picture at page 19 but this time the caption said that the airplanes were from Squadron 32. Well... I suppose that now that i have a bit more knowledge about the subject this caption is right but the question is... Why that different national markings? Can anyone reply to my question?

Many Regards

Eugenio Cattani

[StephenLawson]

Certainly Eugenio Cattani:
First welcome to the Aerodrome!
Second you are in luck as the author of the second book is a member here and very knowlegable. Alex Revell is a goodfellow.
Third; the cockades for the British were outer ing blue, middle white and the inner circle was red.
The cockades for the French were red outer ring, white middle ring and a blue inner circle.

You will find that Italy had her own markings but finally settled on their cockades as well.

These cockades herald back to the Napoleanic days where these cockades weredisplayed on military head gear as small identiity ornaments. Usually another was displayed under the national cocake in the colours of the state / county/ city the regiment was organized from.

Thanks for the reply Stephen Lawson.
The problem turns around that particular D.H.2.
Just yesterday I was able to dig out some old Profiles in a fleamarket and one was the no. 91 about the D.H.2, the author is Mr. J.M. Bruce.
Once again the picture of the non-standard markings was there, this time the caption locate the airplane at Beauval at the 4th Army Aircraft Park in 1916. The source of the picture is reported as Imperial War Museum Q11897.
Uhm... Three different locations for the same subject are quite confusing now... and the main question is still "Why this particular airplane had so different nationals markings". At least seems that I was not so wrong to say that the markings are non-standard because in the same publication there is a colour profile of this airplane. To make more cloudy everything, the serial of this D.H.2 is, at least for me, unknown. I've spent the evening scanning with a magnifier my copy of Windsock Datafile no. 48 hoping to find some other example of this markings but with no luck... so... I still hope that someone can put some light about this thing

bye

Eugenio Cattani

P.S.

Mistake Mistake Mistake... just now I've open again the Windsock Datafile no. 48 and I've found a picture of the D.H.2 with the strange markings... s/n 5929 painted in a light colour on the rudder. Any info about it is welcome!

Many thanks!

Eugenio Cattani