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Re: 218 SQUADRON CREW LIST 14-05-40
Part 2 of 3.
These 5 had to be from the 6 serial numbers quoted on page 283; K9251 HA-K, K9256, K9273 HA-R, L5192 HA-P, P2189 and P2192 HA-E. However I do have a concern for the inclusion of K9256. Referring to Sidney Shail's excellent The Battle File he records that K9256 went to 218 Squadron on 11.10.1938, next to 2 Salvage Section on 7.3.1940, then to 21 Aircraft Depot on 25.3.40 and finally that it was "presumed abandoned in France 6.40". If it went to 21 A.D. at Chateau-Bougon near Nantes then it was most unlikely to have been returned to 218 Squadron by May. In fact reading through the individual Battle histories in Shail's book shows a journey to 21 A.D. was one-way ! Via 21 A.D. to the scrapyard at Chateau-Bougon or back to the UK, but almost never, if ever, back to the front-line squadrons.
I believe the 6th Battle abandoned at Auberieve should be L5402, as suggested by Peter Cornwell himself on page 183 of his book.
It is worth noting that Sidney Shail on page 58 of his book believed that the second 5 Battles reputedly lost on May 14th were probably the 5 mentioned in the paragraph above, but not including K9256. So I am not breaking entirely new ground with this post. However he nowhere records that the squadron abandoned aircraft at Auberieve on the following day.
As an aside both The Battle File and Valiant Wings claim that a 218 Squadron Battle was destroyed on the ground at Auberieve by enemy bombing on May 15th. As Peter Cornwell does not record it I assume he found insufficient evidence to support this. Having gone through all the 218 Squadron Battle individual histories in Sidney Shail's book I could not find any possible match, unless it was one of the already damaged aircraft from May 14th.
I am baffled also by the two different HA-R marked Battles shown on page 272 of The Battle of France T&N. I cannot explain this little anomaly. It needs more research - and photos of 218 Squadron Battles ! Ed West, bless him, only a few nights ago posted another photo of K9273 HA-R.
To be concluded....
Martin.
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