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Old 14th July 2005, 19:28
Peter Peter is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posts: 140
Peter
Re: Bf110 loss 24 May 1940

Alex,


I have colleced some information regarding this Me110. My sources are mainely the books "LW in Sweden 1939-45" and "Nödlanding" both by Bo Widfeldt/Rolph Wegmann but also mail corespondance with Norwegian historian:

Piloted by Fw. Neureiter and radio operator Stabsing Thönes.
The Plane was NOT shot down by Grant Ede, it was shot down by Swedish AAA, confirmed by eyevittnes.

This is was I have collected:


Flying Officer Herman Francis Grant Ede DFC, RAF no. 33307

1917 – 8 June 1940
Grant Ede was born in 1917 and his parents lived in Pembroke, Bermuda.

He attended the RAF College at Cranwell as a Flight Cadet, being awarded a Permanent Commission in December 1937.

Promoted to Flying Officer in June 1939, he joined 111 Squadron in August.

On 7 May 1940 he was posted to 263 Squadron while this unit was preparing their return to Norway after their first attempt.

He was one of the two pilots who arrived to Norway aboard the carrier HMS Furious, which was transferring the units Gladiators.

On 21 May the Squadron's Gladiators took off from HMS Furious and flew to Bardufoss.

Around midday on 24 May five Ju52/3ms of KGrzbV 108 carrying 55 members of 2/GJR 137 arrived over Bjørnfjell from Trondheim. Five escorting Bf110s of I/ZG 76 broke away to undertake a 'Frei Jagd' against ground targets. Approaching Bardufoss, they were fired on by anti-aircraft guns and broke away, circling nearby. Grant Ede was scrambled in one of the Gladiators, and attacked one, but this broke off and dived away. He then attacked the second but his wing guns failed, and he dived for base as the other three Bf110s also broke off and departed.
Grant Ede was given credit for a damaged Bf110, but Leutnant Loobes of 3./ZG 76 must have thought he had shot the Gladiator down when it dived away for safety since he claimed the British fighter destroyed at 13:10. It is possible that Grant Ede's fire had indeed been effective, for one Bf110 of 1./ZG 76 force-landed on Upmasjaure Lake in Sweden shortly after 13:00. This was Bf110C-1 ‘M8+NK’ (WNr. 3920??) flown by Feldwebel Neureuter. The crew was picked up by an air-sea rescue He59 (D-ALYO) and flown to Trondheim. This aircraft is now preserved at Sinsheim, Germany.





May I ask why you are intereste`?

Best wishes from a sunny Sweden!
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