Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

I am looking for information about an incident that happened during D-Day operations.

Night 5/6 June During the night a number of aircraft were lost to reasons other than enemy fire. Aboard a 75 Squadron Lancaster, Flight Sergeant W E Barker witnessed a mid-air collision between two Halifaxes.

I believe the Halifaxs may have also been from 75 Squadron as they were converting to Halifax IIIs at the time. I am interested in confirming they were from 75 Squadron, where they went down and the names of the crew members and their fate.

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Do not have any details of two Halifaxes colliding on night of 5/6 June 1944 (other than a ground accident at Sandtoft)

75 Sqn was on Lancasters and remained that way until the end of the war

Do you mean 76, 77 or 78 Sqns?

Regards

Martin

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

I am looking for a NZ airman and 75 was a NZ unit. I thought I read that the were converting to Halifaxes starting in May but I could be wrong.

The guy I am looking for is F/LT Bruce Cowie RNZAF NZ417029

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Cowie's, but no Bruce's.
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/Bom...earch/?q=cowie

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

I don't see my guy there as this is the rest of the information I have thusfar. In my short scan of information there were 4 RNZAF squadrons that participated directly in D-Day 75, 485, 486, and 487. So he probably would have been in one of those.

RAF New Zealand Air Corps from Wellington NZ from LT England's E&E he must have been shot down 6 June and most likely sent to hospital 9 June. Sent on to Stalag Luft I RNZAF NZ417029 arrived 11-Jun-44 departed 12-Jul-44

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

The summary of Bomber Command aircraft damaged on operations in Air14/3463 shows the following aircraft damaged for reasons not due to enemy action on June 5-6:
77 Sqn C NA511 -engine cut - bombs exploded
77 Sqn N LL544 - taxying accident
77 Sqn S NA520 - taxying accident
466 Sqn W MZ287 - swung and hit other Halifax
All of these happened taking off
The Bomber Command casualties for June 5-6 listed in Air 14/2697 list the following as missing:
1- 101 Sqn Lancaster on diversionary operation
2 - 149 Sqn Stirlings on diversiobnary operation
1 - 578 Sqn Halifax detailed to Mont Fleury
1 - 76 Sqn Halifax detailed to Mont Fleury
1 - 50 Sqn Lancaster detailed to St. Pierre du Mont
2 - 97 Sqn Lancasters detailed to St. Pierre du Mont
1 - 582 Sqn Lancaster detailed to Longues
2 - 515 Sqn Mosquitos on intruder missions
It must have been the two Halifaxes at Mount Fleury since they were the only ones missing.
Cheers
Dave Wallace

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Dale,

You may be interested to read this where F/O Bruce Cowie from New Zealand is mentioned: http://www.pegasusarchive.org/norman...ay_england.htm

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Dale,

Could this be your Bruce Cowie? See http://www.air-despatch.co.uk/pages/...roy/robroy.htm

Navigator on Dakota KG424, shot down and became POW with other crew members.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

I have LT England's E&E which provided a first name for Cowie and your second link was a goldmine. I had been looking for Squadron Leader Wright as well as others on that write up. So 4 birds with one stone. Great stuff thank you.

Dale
LTC USA (Retired)

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Hmm 46 Group has 5 squadrons (48, 233, 271, 512, 575) and I am looking for two guys. National Archives in KEW has the Operations Record Books online for 3.30 pounds a shot. Does anyone have those type of Record books and would it be worth it?

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Dale,

If looking for squadron of Bruce Cowie: Dakota KG424 was with 233 Squadron.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Thanks that is that final puzzle piece

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

It's a small world - the pilot of this Dakota was Sqn Ldr Clifford Wright AFC who was a friend of my father's. I have his unpublished account of his RAF career from 1931 which includes this crash landing on 6th June 1944!

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Does he include any information on his time in Rennes? Anything he wrote about the Hospital would be appreciated.

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Hi there Bruce Cowie was my Grandfather. Let me know if there's anything specific you need as I may be able to help. I stumbled across this when looking for something else.
Ann

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Not sure if you are still looking for information on this, but below is my Grandfather's diary from this time (Bruce Cowie).

7th June 1944
S./Ldr Wright, ALofty@ R.A.S.C., and myself were captured in the afternoon and taken in an open armoured vehicle to a German position in some woods a few miles away. Allied fighters were constantly overhead but seemingly confined their activities to reconnaissance. On arrival AWilbur@ and myself were bandaged by Wehrmacht medical orderlies. After a nasty scene with a senior German officer who did not appear to love the R.A.F., we joined a number of British paratroopers and left by truck - round 5pm. Several miles further on we stopped and were interrogated outside a big country house before moving on to St Pierre, Sur Dives, where we arrived late at night. We were kept in an old school - jammed in on the floor like sardines. Rather disturbed night.
We left again on the morning of the 9th and passed through Fleures in the afternoon soon after bombers had visited it. Late at night we reached RENNES and the wounded were put in hospital, none of us having much sleep due to a R.A.F. raid.

10th June.
Dressings removed from face and hands - mercurochrome painted on.

19th June.
S./Ldr Wright O.K. and left for Stalag the other day. The hospital filling up rapidly, mostly Americans, The trucks bringing in prisoners are constantly being strafed; 9 survived in one truck; another lot of 165 men - 43 reached here. The R.A.F. visit here most nights and every fine day there are raids, the most frequent being P-47 raids in the evenings. In one day-raid bombs fell on both sides of the hospital and we had pieces of shrapnel through the windows. Face almost healed and hands improving.


21st June.
Till now food has been little soup twice a day - quantity now improving.

28th.
R.A.F. B./A. [Bomb Aimer] From raid morning 7th arrived. The French had him in hospital as civilian but Germans moved him in error, leaving some Canadian soldier instead. (CAEN). The two French nurses in our ward are Jeannette Lesquer and Jacqueline, very fine girls.

In front of the hospital is the Gestapo Headquarters. Patriots and confiscated radio sets are often seen being taken in.

6th July.
Four men wounded by a H.A. shell in the Stalag were brought in last night. There are many French North African troops here brought over from the Stalag each day to construct slit trenches in the compound. They are very friendly. There are also a few Russians and two Indians captured at Tobruk.


8th July.
Found another R.A.S.C. chap from our kite in ward upstairs with busted arm. Another of men caught with him. Says he thinks Cliff and Semp may have got back to British lines.

9th July.
Following the R.A.F. last night Bostons were over this morning and one came down very close - also Mustang.

12th July.
Left hospital - marched to Stalag other side of town. Rennes is a fine town, with some beautiful buildings and a river running thru the centre. Gendarmes stood to attention and saluted, French civilians smiled and waved as we marched, testifying to the French sentiments at our invasion.

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Hello all,

I have found this thread while researching my family history.

Bruce Cowie was my grandfather. He died of a heart attack about 10 years after retiring from service.

I know it is several years later but I am happy to help with any information anyone may still want to know about him, and likewise keen to receive any information others hold.

Re: Looking for information on an Air-Air collision 6 June 1944
 

Larry,

I don't know if you are still on this board or not. Could you reply on whether or not you could share the information on Squadron Leader Clifford Wright's diary.

Thanks