Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/index.php)

- Allied and Soviet Air Forces (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/forumdisplay.php?f=7)

- - eBay: Allied intrest (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=49458)

Re: eBay: Allied intrest

Back home again and checked the Harrows.

Well Bertrand/Paul, as far as I can see K6996 was the only Harrow specifically lost in France.
Many other aircraft are seemingly SOC rather randomly late 1940 and I suppose there is always a possibillity another aircraft could have been involved, but I put my 10 cents on K6996....

Cheers
Stig

Re: eBay: Allied intrest

Harrow photos, Posts 546 and 550.
.
Faenor and Paul,
.
Paul, this is a new image to me but definitely the same aircraft as seen in other EBay photos.
.
As you state there is no mention of this loss in the 271 Squadron ORB. The last record of it in the Form 541 part of the ORB is on 10 June 1940 when it was flown back late that day to England from le Mans in France. K6996 is not recorded again in the F.541 for the rest of June or all of July 1940.
.
Apparently the last RAF aircraft left France on June 18th and Jersey on June 20th. If the date of 20 June 1940 is correct then it is possible the Harrow photos were taken at St. Helier airfield in Jersey. The Struck Off Charge date for K6996 is 20 June 1940, so it could have been lost on this date or earlier.
.
Faenor, the Hurricane in the photo you found is interesting. 501 Squadron left Jersey on June 20th. While their ORB does not mention the Harrow or any of their Hurricanes left behind it seems they did leave at least one. Peter Cornwell in his 'THE BATTLE OF FRANCE, THEN AND NOW' records they abandoned Hurricane P3347 at St. Helier and possibly others. As the new photo shows both aircraft burnt out this could have been carried out by the British just before evacuation.
.
Air-Britain in 'THE K FILE' and 'AEROMILITARIA', autumn 2006 issue has the same service history and fate based on the Form 78 aircraft history card in both works. I strongly caution against their use of the letter 'N' for this Harrow however. It appears to be based on a photo of a Harrow 'N' on page 111 of the 'AEROMILITARIA' issue and which they state to be K6996.
I cannot read the serial in the photo but it seems to be a photo taken after 1940. There appears to be a Hawker Typhoon with a Sky fuselage band in the background. The Harrow also has the name 'Sparrow' on the nose, which again I believe was used post-1940. Maybe someone has a better copy of this photo ? Should it actually show K6996 then of course we are looking for a new serial for the burnt Harrow photos !
.
I cannot find an AIR 81 casualty file for this Harrow loss, indicating there were no personnel casualties. No Form 1180 accident card either.
.
I hope we can sort this little mystery out.
.
Regards,
.
Martin Gleeson.

Re: eBay: Allied intrest

Re Harrow K6996

While I see this lost reported on 20th June 1940 it is possible that it was actually lost earlier than this but only reported as such when the crew returned home. I must say aI doubt Jersey as even though there was evacuation flights from the airport it seems to have been done by 24 Sqn and Jersey Airlines DH86's - I would also say that if it was Jersey I would have thought that such a significant loss would have been recorded there before now

My favourite location is Nantes as at this time the airport had a large and varied collection of aircraft involved in the evacuation and at one point the airport was reported to be on fire June 18th?

The Hurricane may provide a clue as at least 2 were known to have been set fire to there

Hurricane P3683 Burnt on evacuation from Nantes, June 18th, 1940

Hurricane P3045 was burnt on the evacuation at Nantes.

So my guess is the loss was prior to the 20th June possibly around 18th or before

Paul

Re: eBay: Allied intrest

Hello Ed,

Thanks for a clearer photo of the much discussed Blenheim L4859 TR-X of 59 Squadron, forced to land in Belgium on 15 May 1940 and captured. See also my post #537. I can just about make out some of the serial number.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

Re: eBay: Allied intrest

Either 90 or 141 Sqdn ?

Re: eBay: Allied intrest

You're welcome Martin.

Best,
Ed