[niallc]

Hi
On the 29th, 263 Squadron sent four Whirlwinds to attack Lannion airfield after Ju 88s had been reported there. Nine Spitfires of 313 Sqn escorted the Whirlwinds and at the last minute four Hurricanes of 247 Squadron were briefed to stage a second attack 20 minutes after the Whirlwinds. Orders for the operation did not arrive until 1600 and the aircraft took off from their forward base at Predannack at 1833 by which time it was getting dark and the weather was deteriorating.
Pilots were FO Hugh Coghlan (leading), Geoff Warnes, Jack Maddocks and Tom Hunter. Sqn. Ldr. Donaldson did not fly on this day as he had been injured and concussed during an attack on Morlaix airfield the previous day.
All the pilots found and attacked the target but became separated in the dark and cloud and made their way home individually. Maddocks landed successfully at Portreath and Warnes at Predannack. Coghlan forcelanded P6998, out of fuel, 200 yards short of Predannack. He suffered only bruises, but P6998 was badly damaged and dismantled to be sent to Westland for repair.
Hunter (P7009) radioed that he was going to bail out because his engines were failing, again presumably because of lack of fuel. A pilot was seen baling out 5 miles southwest of Eddystone Lighthouse at 2005. Sea and land searches were carried out for two days, but found no trace of Hunter. His body was washed ashore at Mullion on October 10th.
20 minutes after the Whirlwinds’ attack the four Hurricanes of 247 Squadron made their attacks. One of the pilots chose to make a second pass over the airfield and was hit hard by the flak, ditching his aircraft just off shore and becoming a prisoner of war.
Niall