Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Cornwell
Can you please help me identify the RAF fighter referred to here ? I am having trouble finding it in my copy of BoBT&N. Thanks.
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Peter
see page 360 BoBT&N
257 Squadron, Northolt
Hurricane L1703.
Collided with balloon cable and crashed at Larbourne Farm, West Drayton.
The Hurricane was on fire so Pilot Officer C. G. Frizell baled out.
[The balloon collision incident, followed by a crash at Larborne Farm relates to a returning operational bomber aircraft Whitley P4982, just after 0400 hrs 15.8.1940]
Because Whitley P4982 had crashed at "Larborne Farm, West Drayton", I went to the RAF Museum to see the Flying Accident Card for P/O C. G. Frizell for myself.
The reverse of the A.M.1180 gives P/O Frizell. The front of the card matched to P/O Frizell on the film gives the aircraft as a Hurricane and what appears to read K1903 at 1315, patrolling a convoy. Regarding the aircraft serial a second letter appears to have been placed in front of K1903. The place is given "N of Hendon [looks like Hendon, but could also be possibly be Heston?] aerodrome and? Watford Way.
This leaves me wondering if two Hurricanes were involved in incidents in that area 15th August 1940?
The 257 Squadron ORB (AIR 27/1526) for 15th August 1940 says:-
At 0630 hours the Squadron left Northolt for North Weald where it carried out a number of operational patrols and convoy patrols.
"At 1200 hours when returning from convoy P.O. Frizell's aircraft caught fire. He baled out from a height of 2,000 feet and his aircraft crashed in a street of a garden city between Hendon and Northolt."
Regarding Whitley P4982 the aircraft log page of the flight was recovered and there is no reference to any firing on the op, nor any firing by other Whitleys in the 51 Squadron ORB.
The 51 Squadron ORB has no reference to any firing during the Op. However the 51 Squadron daily return for 15.8.1940 has the 1 wrecked [Whitley] aircraft and the numbers of the Officer and Airmen crew lost quantities and also states that 600 rounds were fired by "Active operations (i) in air".
Also the Balloon Unit ORB indicates that an identity disc of a Sgt Surridge, no number was removed by Police first and taken away, but despite making various inquiries the loss of Sgt Surridge does not seem to exist on 15.8.1940. Although they had crash times for Whitley P4982 and must have known the crash time, they only entered "am" for the time on the Accident Card (which they also gave "am" for P5044).
Mark