Typhoon Attack Letter?
 

I wonder if anyone can possibly answer a long-wondered question my family and I have wondered about for years!.

On 29th January 1944, my grandmother's first love, Flight Sgt 520581Leslie 'Spike' Watson took part in an air raid on Amiens, France. He was one of eight Hawker Typhoon pilots of No. 1 Squadron who attacked the St Roch railway marshalling yards there. Unknown to them, the 9th Armoured Hohenstaufen Division were based in barracks alongside the railway with the 4th Battalion Sicherungs-Regiment 191. Watson was the last one to bomb the railway yard - and sadly he did not pull out of the dive, possibly shot down by light flak.

My question is, we know his a/c no was JP498, and his squadron lettering was 'JX' but what was the individual letter after this i.e. JX-??

Many thanks for your help,

Kind Regards

Austin

Re: Typhoon Attack Letter?
 

Hello Austin!
I am trying to dig out something for you, but my own computer is at home..However I found on a quick research on the net that 609 Squadron, also flying Typhoons that day lost one of their own:
Léon L. Henrion "Mon Oncle"

11 May 1943 - 29 January 1944

Léon Henrion shot down a Bf 109 on October 1943, but on January 29 1944 he was shot down himself over Walcheren (Typhoon JP662). His body was never found.

Will be back with more data...Please wait. You will have a positive answer from someone who has the ORB´s for No.1 Squadron. Have you tried the Imperial War Museum?
Friendly yours

Adriano

Re: Typhoon Attack Letter?
 

There were more losses amongst the Typhoons Squadrons that day. Information taken from another Forum:
"I've been looking into F/Lt Lovell for a chap in Australia, who's mother was married to him before he was killed, and through CWGC, London Gazette, Typhoon and Tempest Story and a book written all in French (!) I gathered this much. Anyone know any more please? Or Sgt Smith, who was killed in the same attack?

107258 Flight Lieutenant Stuart James Lovell
Killed in action aged 27 at approximately 10:30 on Saturday 29th January 1944 with 183 Squadron when he was shot down by German Flak in Hawker Typhoon MK1B MM970 whilst attacking Guipavas Airfield near Brest, Brittany, France. F/Lt Lovell is buried at Kerfautras Cemetery in Brest; Plot 46. Row 11. Grave 2.
Son of Stuart C. Anthony and Clare Mary Lovell, of Portrush, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland; husband of Alicia Lovell, of Epsom, Surrey. His brother, 40402 Wing Commander Anthony Desmond Joseph Lovell, DSO and Bar, DFC and Bar, D.F.C. (American) also died on service Friday 17 August 1945 Aged 26 and is buried at Portrush Cemetery, County Antrim, Northern Ireland; Sec. F. Grave 1153.

The London Gazette records the following:
Plt. Offs. (prob.) confmd., in appts. and to be
Flg. Offs. (war subs.) :—
S. J. LOVELL (107258). 20th Sept. 1942. (There must be other mentions, but i've not found them yet)

1394048 Sergeant Sidney William Smith
Killed in action aged 23 at approximately 10:30 on Saturday 29th January 1944 with 183 Squadron when he was shot down by Flak in Hawker Typhoon MK1B JP973 HF-E whilst attacking Guipavas Airfield near Brest, Brittany, France. Aircraft crashed in the nearby commune of Plabannec, injuring 6 civilians.
Sgt Smith is buried at Kerfautras Cemetery in Brest; Plot 46. Row 11. Grave 1.
Son of Sidney Walter and Annie Smith, of Hempstead, Kent.

Brest (Kerfautras) Cemetery is in the suburb of St Martin which is approximately 2 kilometres north-east of the centre of Brest. The main cemetery entrance is in Rue Massillon, off Rue Jules Ferry, which is a turning off the main road, Rue Jean Jaures. The Commonwealth war graves are located in the French Military Plot on the west side of the cemetery."

Yours
Adriano

Re: Typhoon Attack Letter?
 

Austin,
From the information on this site below, you can see there were no Luftwaffe Claims on 29th January 1944...so we can "assume" the Typhoons losses on this day were due mainly to FLAK ( had to check all files yet however...)
http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories...on-tempest.pdf
Hope to have helped to have a full picture of the activities that day...I am still sure someone who has access to the ORBs will help you to identify the letter that is missing JX-????.
All the best for you on your search
Yours
Adriano

Re: Typhoon Attack Letter?
 

Austin, I fear you have a bit of an uphill struggle here. 1 squadron operated around 77 Typhoons during its 20 months with the type and I have managed to locate codes for 34 but unfortunately not JP498. The 1 Sqn ORB will not help as it records serials not code letters. IWM does not hold records on individual aircraft. The only hope is to locate pilots logs who flew with 1 Sqn at the time and recorded letters - which can then becompared with the serials in the ORB to establish the tie-ups. Exceptionally you might find a pilot who recorde letters and serials.

There is an outside chance that the information may exist on the casualty file but those are not in the public domain. A letter to AHB might eventually yield the information but it might be a long wait as they are in the throes of a move from Bentley Priory to Northolt.
CT

Re: Typhoon Attack Letter?
 

Dear Adriano & Chris

Thank you both for your kind help.

Isn't it funny... just one small letter can get so many heads thinking?!

Will continue searching...

Have a great weekend

Austin