10 August 1940 Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden
 

Has anybody got info on a raid on the Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden 10/8/1940


BECHER JOHN HENRY

Rank: Squadron Leader
Service No: 36008
Date of Death: 10/08/1940
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Grave Reference: H. 21.
Cemetery: MAALA CEMETERY YEMEN
Additional Information: Son of Maj. John Pickard Becher, D.S.O., and Gertrude Veronica Becher, of Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England. His father fell in the 1914-1918 War. Squadron Leader J H Becher killed in an enemy air raid on Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden.
Acting Flight Lieutenant T D Atkinson,
Acting Wing Commander A C Mitchell,
Acting Warrant Officer G A Davies,
Corporal D L Lee
LAC C P Panting injured.


Many thanks Shaun.

Re: 10 August 1940 Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden
 

Shaun,

Have you thought of posting this on the RAF Commands forum at http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/for...neral-Category

Brian

Re: 10 August 1940 Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden
 

I think that a very long time ago there was an article about this in Air Pictorial and that the Italians carried out the attack by refuelling at desert outposts.

Re: 10 August 1940 Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden
 

Nick,

The article you refer to in Air Pictorial could be the 15-part series entitled "East African Air War", by Christopher Shores and Corrado Ricci. It ran from October,1983 thru' December,1984. I can't access my copies just now, perhaps someone else could take a look at their copies. Most of the content was republished in an updated form in, "Dust Clouds In The Middle East" pp.4-73 - no mention of any activity at Steamer Point on 10 August, 1940.

Col.

Re: 10 August 1940 Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden
 

I certainly didn't remember anything beyond the Italians having bombed Aden at some point and that maybe they used SM 79s.

Re: 10 August 1940 Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden
 

Thanks , there is a file at the National Archive. I've ordered a page check to see how large it is. Could not find anything on line about it.

Re: 10 August 1940 Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden
 

Not much detail in the file , most of it was legal papers between Sqn/L Becher's solicitors and the Air Ministry about gaining a death certificate for insurance purposes. The only page relating to the attack was this.
https://vgy.me/58kdkP.jpg

Re: 10 August 1940 Air Headquarters Steamer Point, Aden