Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

nothing in the town hall's archives......

I don't know where to look anymore :-)

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

I can only imagine maybe that there is somewhere in the UK archives system, perhaps a MRES report or perhaps in the AIR81 files, but they are not being released anytime soon.

Maybe by the time I retire in 30 years they will grace us with these archives.

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

Hi,

I can add the following from my research at TNA. The Mustang Squadrons from No35 Wing flew thirty-seven low level tactical reconnaissance missions (and three more were recalled) in support of the raid. These comprised seventy-four sorties (five aborted and five recalled), together with one single sortie gun-spotting mission.

Regarding your five pilots;

6th Mission: Two aircraft (26 Sqn - F/Lt Kennedy (AG536) and Sgt Cliff (AG584)) launched at 0515 to carry out a reconnaissance mission, they were engaged by Fw190’s in the Beaumont-le-Roger area and shotdown at about 0550.

AG536 F/Lt D.N. Kennedy and AG584 Sgt G.D.M. Cliff -Both probably shotdown by Fw190 (Hptm Bolz C/O II/JG2), pilots killed.

7th Mission: Two aircraft (239 Sqn - F/Lt Barnes (AG614) and PO Cruickshank (AG537)) launched at 0550 to carry out a reconnaissance eight miles west of Dieppe to St Valery, to Ouville and to Bacqueville. F/Lt Barnes engaged by four Fw190’s, but unharmed and returned at 0615.

AG537 PO J.R. Cruickshank -Hit by AAA after reaching the coast and then lost, pilot killed.

27th Mission: One aircraft (26 Sqn - F/Lt Dawson (AG418)) launched at 0845 on a reconnaissance mission .

AG418 F/Lt G. Dawson -Shotdown, probably by AAA, pilot killed (the aircraft probably crashed in the Dieppe area at about 09.32).

32nd Mission: One aircraft (239 Sqn - FO Gompertz (AM134)) launched at 1100 to carry out a reconnaissance along roads between Le Tréport, Envernay and Blangy.

AM184 FO P.A.L. Gompertz -Shotdown at about 1135 probably by AAA, pilot killed.

37th Mission: Two aircraft (400 (RCAF) Sqn - FO Gordon and PO Burlington) launched at 1315 on a reconnaissance mission ‘behind Dieppe’ at 1350.

AM151 PO D.G. Burlington -Flying as weaver, last seen near St Aubin, probably shotdown by light AAA, pilot killed

In view of their independent operations, there were often no witnesses to their loss, the ones that I have deemed as probably lost due to AAA fire are due to the lack of any associated Luftwaffe fighter claim around the time. Documents AIR26/51 (No35 Wing ORB) and AIR 37/353 (details of Mustang operations) have some information, but the above losses were just noted as missing.

Regards,

Steve

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

I am trying to remember is there a set of German records for british casualties similar to the US captured/copies series "AV" reports,

Actually these types of reports discussed in thsi thread
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archiv...hp?t-4212.html

perhaps the KE file set?

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

Thank you very much Steve49 for those details.

I have just met two witnesses, one tells me that the crash took place at the end of the morning and the other at the very beginning of the afternoon.

it doesn't suit me for Kennedy :-)

I'm about to meet other witnesses.

if it's not Kennedy, the strange thing is that the pilot stayed several days next to the plane and then went missing or buried in Coxide in Belgium like pilot Burlingam.

thank you all

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

I just realized that David Burlingam was RCAF so was able to check his service file on ancestry.com and get some notes on his discovery and burial.

One sheet is an RCAF record copy/translation of a German Document, which reads:

Body washed ashore near Coxyde - Bad 9.9.42 at 11.00 hrs

D G Burlingham J8347 Fighter pilot
Been in water about 14 days
Buried on 10.9.42 in Local Cemetery at Coxyde


This transcription is dated November 1946, and it seems his family were notified by a letter dated 14 Nov 1946 by the RCAF that it appeared their sons body had been found.

And thats it, there is little else in that service record scan relating to how he died, when he was last seen etc

That page of 400 SQn ORB is terribly hard to read! Typical but seems to indicate Burlingam was flying a mission, the Squadrons last Sortie of the day, flying with an F/O Grant. I think it reads: "He was last seen over St Aubin" I cannot be certain.
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oo...3/1216?r=0&s=4

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

great, thank you very much Dennis

1 less in the list.......

I must be saint aubin sur mer, next to Dieppe

I'm about to see other witnesses from the crash.

@lexis

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

I asked CWGC to advise what numbers of unknown Allied airmen were buried in Dieppe War Cemetery and they advised:
Grave H. 8 Unknown Flying Officer Royal Air Force 19/08/1942
Grave K. 39 Unknown Flying Officer Royal Air Force 19/08/1942


Also there is, with no known date of death, and thus might not be related to the Dieppe landing at all.

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

Thank you for your research, Dennis.

I met a 93-year-old witness, he told me

the aircraft had a large cockade on its side and was not significantly damaged

the crash was late in the morning

he was alive with a big leg injury, probably both legs broken.

He was leaning against a pile of straw with his pipe next to him.

He was very young but he didn't know the color of his hair, maybe he still had his helmet on.

the Germans didn't treat him and he died of his wounds.

he would have been temporarily buried in the nearby village of Gouchaupré (I went to this village's archives but there is no trace of a soldier buried in the cemetery)

He also told me that the family came after the war and that the pilot's body was buried somewhere else.

he confirmed to me that the plane was all alone, that it was flying very low and that he made several machine gunshots on the German convoy before striking wooden poles.

I don't know if I can trust this testimony given the age of the witness, but I think there's a good deal of truth to it.

not easy to conclude something.

Alexis

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

Re: Mustang Pilot Information
 

If your witnesses timing is good, then a late morning lost Mustang could only be FO P.A.L. Gompertz (AM184) from 239 Sqn. He was up at 11:00 on his own, shot down by flak at about 11:35 and is listed as having no none grave.

As far as I can see few aircraft were downed by flak at this time, 174 Sqn lost three Hurricanes, but these were over Dieppe. All the other fighter losses at this time were to Luftwaffe fighter aircraft attacks.

Regards,

Steve