Spitfire Vb Crashes in Alderney, Channel Islands. UK
 

Hi everyone!



Is anyone able to shed some light on a puzzle that both myself and a colleague (both pilots ourselves) have been trying to work out?


There are 2 documented Spitfire crashes on Alderney -

1. 2/11/41 - W3830 234 Squadron - Spit Vb. Pilot Officer B W Meyer. Ended up as a PoW

2. 8/11/41 - AD188 501 Squadron - Spit Vb. Pilot Officer W J Greenaway. Also a PoW


First puzzle: Can anyone shed light on what the actual aircraft squadron markings were on crash 1? Were they AZ-K?

Second puzzle: Was Meyer American or Canadian? (We believe American)

Third puzzle: On 4/6/42, Spitfire Vb - AD245 - of 234 Squadron piloted by Sgt W H Jackson - a Canadian - went missing and was presumed killed, on a bombing mission to Cherbourg airfield.

What were the squadron markings on this aircraft? Were they AZ-K too?

We have a photo of a Spit Vb taken after crash landing in Alderney with the Squadron marking of AZ-K and wwe are trying to establish whether this was the documented crash (1) of Meyer, or whether this was the aircraft of Jackson who went missing - as both were from 234 Squadron. I have spoken yesterday with a man who was working in Alderney and remembered a Spitfire crash landing and saw the pilot get out, then was escorted away by the Germans. As he passed my informant, the pilot spoke briefl;y to them stating his 'war was over' and he believed this pilot to be Canadian.

If this was Jackson, then we might have found an important missing link of modern history.

Can anyone help in any way, or point me in the direction of someone who might be able to help us?

E-mail is timobeanie@cwgsy.net


Many Thanks

Re: Spitfire Vb Crashes in Alderney, Channel Islands. UK
 

This is what the Spitfire Production webpage shows.

http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/home.htm

W3830,
http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p013.htm


AD188 & AD245,
http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p020.htm

Regards,
Mike

Re: Spitfire Vb Crashes in Alderney, Channel Islands. UK
 

Hello Tim,
Are you in touch with the Channel Islands Occupation Society?

Regards,
Bruce

Re: Spitfire Vb Crashes in Alderney, Channel Islands. UK
 

Hi Tim

Slightly off track but may be of interest to those who study Channel islands incidents.

On 1 November 1941, Flt Lt Frank Griffiths flying Gladiator K8049 of Special Duty Flight Christchurch from Worth Matravers airstrip on a radar calibration flight off the south coast, became lost in heavy cloud from which he emerged over Guernsey! He was greeted by fairly accurate AA fire and the Gladiator received a few shrapnel holes but returned safely.

(Ref 'Angel Visits - from Biplane to Jet' by Frank Griffiths)

Cheers
Brian

Re: Spitfire Vb Crashes in Alderney, Channel Islands. UK
 

W3830 was a late Spitfire production Mk VB while AD245 was an early CBAF production Mk VB. The photos attached by Mike (Revi16) show the late (integral) windscreen typical for late Supermarine-built Mk Vs (for example W3830) but not used on early CBAF machines (so this wouldn't be AD245).

Re: Spitfire Vb Crashes in Alderney, Channel Islands. UK
 

Hello,
FCL vol 1 revised has Mayer as American.
While The Canadian Virtual War Memorial has Jackson as Canadian.
Son of Joseph Henry and Margaret Agnes Jackson, of Feudal, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Alex

Re: Spitfire Vb Crashes in Alderney, Channel Islands. UK
 

I can add the following from my copies of the Squadron Operations Record Books and other sources in my archives. It may help a little.

2/11/41

234 Squadron

Spitfire W3830

Took off on shipping recco at 15.20 with rest of Squadron. Four aircraft attacked a wireless station at Audeville. Hits were registered on the building but during the attack Plt Pff Meyer developed engine trouble and is believed to have landed on the Island of Alderney.
Plt Off B W Meyer 102051 of the USA was POW in Stalag Luft III at Sagan, POW no 705.
The aircraft was a presentation Spitfire named HOLT VIII

4/6/1942

234 Squadron

Spitfire AD245

Squadron took off at 11.55 for a Bomber Escort Sweep as rear cover to RAMROD 21 to Maupertus airfield. A dogfight ensued and this pilot failed to return. The remainder of the squadron had all returned to RAF Portreath by 16.20.

Flt Sgt Wallace Henry Jackson was from Asquith, Sask. Aged 22. He has no known grave and is commemorated at Runnymede.

8/11/1941

501 Squadron

Spitfire AD188

A large Rhubarb "Op" was flown with 118,234 and 263 Sqn taking off at 13.50 after the "op" had earlier been scrubbed due to bad weather. Greenway was attacked by a Me 109 and was last seen going down over the French coast at 10,000ft with white smoke coming from engine. (From another source I believe that Greenway eventually crash-landed at Braye Beach, Alderney)

Plt Off W J H Greenway was later POW and sent to Stalag Luft III.

If your photo is of any of these aircraft it can only be Mayer's and I suspect very strongly that it is.

Re: Spitfire Vb Crashes in Alderney, Channel Islands. UK
 

Hi Mike


Can I ask you where you got the photos from please? As I would like at least one if possible?

Many thanks


Tim Osborne (timobeanie@cwgsy.net)