MORE BACKGROUND ON THE YELLOW MUSTANGS
With still more info on 442 Squadron's garish Mustangs, Will Chabun emails: (see also comments below)

"In December 1989, Ron Summers, a wartime veteran of groundcrew duty with the RCAF's 442 Squadron, spoke to the Regina chapter of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS). He mentioned that March 1945 saw the squadron move from the Netherlands to Hundson, England, to re-equip with American-built P-51D Mustangs. With these aircraft, it flew only three missions before the war ended, one escorting bombers attacking Adolf Hitler's personal retreat at Berchesgarten. An interesting historical note was that the 442's Mustangs had their spinners and anti-glare panels painted yellow, not black. Ron says 442 decided to paint its spinners yellow to distinguish its aircraft from those of other squadrons in its wing. The squadron leader decided to go one better by having the anti-glare panel painted yellow, too. Other pilots saw this, liked it and imitated it. Actually, they weren't supposed to...but they went ahead and did it anyway!'' 
														Extract from IPMS Canada report.

