Pilot officer Londonny 28th June 1942
 

Hi Guys

Am looking for details about a Martlet loss over Bir el Astes airfield, Africa on 28th June 1942.

Apparently a Luftwaffe officer of III./JG27 witnessed the Martlet being shot down by an Italian fighter. The Marlet crashed on the airfield, the officer went to the aid of the pilot who was bodily okay, but badly injured in the face, he called the Red Cross and an ambulance took him to hospital, but he died later that day. The pilots name is supposedly pilot officer Londonny, however another name mentioned is Flying officer H.W.G Bidwell......so it's all a bit confused.

Would like to know if such a Martlet loss was recorded on 28th June 1942, did the Italians claim any, and if any Martlets were lost who was piloting, and their fates.


Grateful in advance


Kind Regards


Johannes

Re: Pilot officer Londonny 28th June 1942
 

There was Lt H.W.G. Bidwell of 5 SAAF Squadron lost in a Tomahawk IIa that day.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Pilot officer Londonny 28th June 1942
 

That cannot be correct. Lt H.W.G Bidwell is mentioned in MAW Vol 2 on page 428 as having been shot down 3 Nov 1942 by flak and crashed at Burg El Arab, obviously safe. I cannot see any mentioning of him on 28 June 1942 at all.

There is no Londonny (or similar) in their index.
Checking Air Britains. FAA aircraft 1939-45 there is no Navy individual with that name either.

Cheers
Stig

Re: Pilot officer Londonny 28th June 1942
 

Hello,

Here is the only Grumman Martlet loss I can find for 28 June, 1942:

Grumman G-36A Martlet I. AX754 (c/n 647).

Delivered 30.7.40
To BPC 22.8.40
805 Sqn ('S') - FTR engine test Western Desert, Cat Z 28.6.42 (S/L JL Willmore killed)*

See:
Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939 to 1945
Sturtivant,Ray with Mick Burrows
Tunbridge Wells:Air-Britain (Historians),1995
p.228

*
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...-john-lawrence

H.M.S Grebe = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Grebe

Col.

Re: Pilot officer Londonny 28th June 1942
 

Hi Chaps


Bidwell was shot up and crash landed on 28th June, (p173 of MAW Vol 2) and its a fair assumption that 1 Stormo were the probable cause. However, there is no way he crashed on a German occupied airfield. The other combat on the day was I./JG 27 slaughtering Hurricanes.

Cheers

Russell

Re: Pilot officer Londonny 28th June 1942
 

Sorry Leendert (thanks Russell)

I had forgotten MAW 2 used a lot of split dates. I looked at the wrong page.
But Russell is correct. Bidwell was not lost that date, since he was back with 5 SAAF pretty quickly

Cheers
Stig