Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

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- - Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943 (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=39009)

Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Hi

I am just preparing a short blog entry on No. 272 Squadron when it was under the command of W/Cdr Yaxley. I found out that he was killed in June 1943 when returning to his new command No. 117 Squadron, shot down in a Hudson over the Bay of Biscay. Could have been either 3 or 6 June.

Does anyone have more details on this?

Many thanks in advance!

All the best

Andreas

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Andreas
Information is in my book Bloody Biscay. Currently in a bar in the south of France so cannot give you more at this time
Chris

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Hi Chris

Have one on me!!

Cheers
Brian

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Don't let me interrupt your drinking Chris, there's no rush. :)

I'll see if I can dig up a copy of your book somewhere.

All the best

Andreas

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

If you have Aces High Vol 2, you could look at p55 BURTON & p104 HANBURY.

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Luftwaffe literature is not my forte, I have neither of the books mentioned thus far, but many thanks for the pointer!

Did you get my PM?

All the best

Andreas

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Hudson FK386 1 OADU 3 JUN 1943 flown by Group Captain Yaxley, shot down by a Ju 88 C flown by Lt Hans Olbrechte 15./KG 40
Among those lost : BURTON Howard Frizelle 33227, HANBURY Osgood Villiers 81357.

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Thanks a lot, that's great!

All the best

Andreas

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Published, many thanks for your help!

http://rommelsriposte.com/2014/09/21...elegraph-pole/

All the best

Andreas

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Andreas
Did you PM me as nothing was received. Back in bar again-free wifi & great beer
Chris

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Hi Chirs

I think the other way round would be better... Didn't want to interrupt your, err, local research...

Here's what I got thanks to udf_00 and the interweb:

Quote:

W/Cdr. Yaxley (promoted to this temporary rank on 9 September 1941) had already earned an M.C. and a D.F.C. (gazetted on 17 October 1941, see this link and this link) at the time of the 25 November raid, and on 27 November was noted in the ORB to have been awarded the D.S.O. as well (gazetted on 12 December, see this link). He died about 2 years later, aged 31, as a Group Captain and C.O. of No. 117 Squadron, when shot down on a return flight to the Med, in a Hudson over the Bay of Biscay on 3 June 1943 (see this link).

Loss details (thanks to udf_00 from 12 o’clock high): Hudson FK386 No. 1 OADU 3 JUN 1943 flown by Group Captain Yaxley, shot down by a Ju 88 C flown by Lt Hans Olbrecht of 15./KG 40
Among those lost : BURTON Howard Frizelle 33227, HANBURY Osgood Villiers 81357. Other information from this Portuguese site indicates that this was a massacre of middle-ranking RAF officers, with the following killed:

F/O J. B. Bukley +
F/O E. J. McSherney +
F/Sgt D. V. Edwards +
G/Capt R. G. Yaxley (Pass) +
W/Com H. F. Burton (Pass) +
W/Com E. Paul (Pass) +
W/Com D. T. Cotton (Pass) +
S/Ldr O. V. Hanbury (Pass) +
S/Ldr J. K. Young (Pass) +
W/Com J. Goodhead (Pass) +

Does that about cover it?

All the best

Andreas

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Andreas

Read your blog page with great pleasure! But either 272 Sq records seems a bit off or you have copied the details wrong.
On 16/11/1941 aircraft G is damaged when it hits a telegraph pole.
On 17/11/1941 said aircraft is suddenly O

Also on 25/111941 were 272 Sq really operating two aircraft C? Not unheard of I know, but then usually didn't the squadron try and differentiate the individuals with underlining one of the codes? And was 272 really that big in 1941 that they needed to double the codes?

Cheers
Stig

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Thanks a lot for pointing out the errors Stig. Fat fingers in both cases. It was 'O' that was damaged, and the second 'C' was actually 'T'.

All the best

Andreas

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

No worries Andreas

You are doing well! :)

Cheers
Stig

Re: Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

Thanks for the compliment Stig!

All the best

Andreas