Thanks very much for the reply, John. I believe there were two allied sweeps that day 24 Mar 42, one to Comines (Bill's one from Hornchurch) and one to Abbeville.
I think the only thing that would tell me for sure if the Spitfire claimed by Schopfel on that day in the Pas de Calais was Bill's is if there is some sort of surviving day report or combat report, and I imagine most of them went up in smoke during the war.
One site
http://www.luftwaffe.cz/schopfel.html lists Schopfel's claim for that day as being a 411 Sqdn Spitfire, which at least narrows it down to Bill and his two unfortunate comrades (Sills and Gridley) who did not make it. The 411 Squadron operations book says that one of the others, Sills' aircraft was "was hit in the glycol tank and he broke off engagement, diving sharply. The aircraft believed to be Sills' was later seen crossing the French coast at 2000 ft... The aircraft of PO Ash was seen to be hit by fire from a FW190. Of W/O Gridley nothing is known as each flyer was fighting two enemy planes and had no time for observation."
I think Bill's claim to have hit a FW190 is fairly reliable - he's a very modest guy and says that he only became a reasonably good Spitfire pilot in the last ten minutes of his career!
I will try to find the books and references you mention. In the meantime, below are any listings I came across on the web that might be relevant - you will no doubt be able to make more sense of them than I can. The German claims for the day list seems to be headed Allied sortie 114, while Bill is listed on 116A (Comines).
Anyway, thanks very much for the help and any progress or suggestions very welcome.
Brendan
luftwaffe claims
Kanalfront: R.A.F. Circus 114 ABBEVILLE
24.03.42 Ofw. Erwin Leibold: 7 ► 3./JG 26 Spitfire £ Lille-Ypres 16.37 Film C. 2036/II Nr.94044/42
24.03.42 Hptm. Joachim Müncheberg: 64 ► Stab II./JG 26 Spitfire £ Pendé 15 km. N.W. Abbeville 16.30 Film C. 2036/II Nr.94045/42
24.03.42 Hptm. Joachim Müncheberg: 65 ► Stab II./JG 26 Spitfire £ Cambron 4 km. W. Abbeville 16.35 Film C. 2036/II Nr.94045/42
24.03.42 Gefr. Gerhard Birke: 1► 4./JG 26 Spitfire £ S. Hurt 16 km. N.W. Abbeville 16.40 Film C. 2036/II Nr.94046/2
24.03.42 Maj. Gerd Schöpfel: 37 ► Stab/JG 26 Spitfire £ Pas-de-Calais - Film C. 2036/II Anerk: Nr. -
24.03.42 Hptm. Johannes Seifert: 26 ► Stab I./JG 26 Spitfire £ 12 km. W Boulogne 17.10 Film C. 2036/II Nr.94043/42
24.03.42 Ofw. Werner Gerhardt: 9 ► 5./JG 26 Spitfire £ Somme Estuary 16.38 Film C. 2036/II Nr.94045/42
luftwaffe casualties
3/24/42 Rosenblath, Georg Lt. KIA 4 Cambron Spitfire
0110 010 SB + KJ .41 6./J.G. 26 'Brown 5 + -' Crashed after combat in the Le Treport area 24.03.42, pilot and Staffelkapitän Oblt. Otto Behrens wounded Caldwell, JG 26
0110 011 SB + KK .41 4./J.G. 26 Crashed after combat 24.03.42 at Cambron, 100%, F, pilot Lt. Georg Rosenblath killed Caldwell, JG 26
0110 012 SB + KL .41 To Auxerre repair facility 15.04.43, out 13.11.43 NA AIR 40/1887
0110 013 SB + KM .41 6./J.G. 26 'Brown 3 + -'
'Brown 13 + -' Crashed at Fl.Pl. Abbeville after combat 24.03.42, 25%, F, pilot Uffz. Gerhard Vogt wounded
Allied reports:
24. March 1942
RAF 2 Group: Circus 116A
Power-Stn. COMINES
14.36: 12 Boston III
Escort Wing: Hornchurch
RAF 11 Gp. 64 Sqn. 12 Spitfire Vb 14.42-16.15 Circus 116A 0 - 0 - 0 n/a 2 Cat.B Fighters L-BS: Comines
Cat.B 24.03.42 Pilot: ok 11 Group 64 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: SH- Battle-damage
Cat.B 24.03.42 Pilot: ok 11 Group 64 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: SH- Battle-damage
RAF 11 Gp. 411 Sqn. 10 Spitfire Vb 14.36-16.20 Circus 116A 0 - 0 - 2 FW 190 3 Cat.Em Fighters L-BS: Comines
Cat.Em 24.03.42 P/O J.W. Sills: kia 11 Group 411 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: W3215 FW 190s: Bailleul
Cat.Em 24.03.42 P/O W.F. Ash: p/w 11 Group 411 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: AB281 FW 190s: Bailleul
Cat.Em 24.03.42 F/Sgt. R.H. Gridley: kia 11 Group 411 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: AB268 FW 190s: Bailleul
Cat.A 24.03.42 Sgt. Taylor: wia 11 Group 411 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: AB183 FW 190s: Bailleul
Claim 24.03.42 Pilot 11 Group 411 Sqn. 0 - 0 - 1 FW 190 15.50 ca: Bailleul
Claim 24.03.42 Pilot 11 Group 411 Sqn. 0 - 0 - 1 FW 190 15.50 ca: Bailleul
Escort-Cover Wing: North Weald
RAF 11 Gp. 403 Sqn. 12 Spitfire Vb 14.25-16.40 Circus 116A 1 - 0 - 0 FW 190 No casualty L-BS: Comines
Claim 24.03.42 Pilot 11 Group 403 Sqn. 1 - 0 - 0 FW 190 15.50 ca: Comines-Calais
RAF 11 Gp. 121 Sqn. 12 Spitfire Vb 14.25-16.40 Circus 116A 0 - 1 - 0 FW 190 1 Cat.B Fighter L-BS: Comines
Cat.B 24.03.42 Pilot: ok 11 Group 121 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: AV- Battle-damage
Claim 24.03.42 P/O R. Tilley 11 Group 121 Sqn. 0 - 1 - 0 FW 190 15.50 ca: Comines-Calais
High-Cover Wing: Kenley
RAF 11 Gp. 602 Sqn. 11 Spitfire Vb 14.42-16.15 Circus 116A 0 - 0 - 1 FW 190 No casualty L-BS: Comines
Claim 24.03.42 F/Lt J.H. Lacey 11 Group 602 Sqn. 0 - 0 - 1 FW 190 15.50 ca: Gravelines-Dover
Summary for Circus 116A at 14.36 RV on 24th March 1942 Power-station Comines. Fighters taking part: 8 squadrons, 97 sorties, 1-1-3 claimed for 3 lost. Bombers taking part: 12 Bostons of RAF 2 Group. Ref: RAF/FC Summary of Sorties (Air 16/1307)
The other circus of the day was the one to Abbeville:
RAF 2 Group: Circus 116B
Rail-yards ABBEVILLE
14.55 rv: 6 Boston III
Escort Wing: Digby
RAF 12 Gp. 412 Sqn. 11 Spitfire Vb 14.50-16.18 Circus 116B 0 - 0 - 0 n/a 2 Cat.Em Fighter L-BS: Abbeville
Cat.Em 24.03.42 S/Ldr. J.D. Morrison: kia 12 Group 412 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: BL471 FW 190s: Abbeville
Cat.Em 24.03.42 F/Lt. A.T.A. Young: p/w 12 Group 412 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: VZ - FW 190s: Abbeville
RAF 12 Gp. 19 Sqn. 12 Spitfire Vb 14.50-16.16 Circus 116B 0 - 0 - 0 n/a 2 Cat.Em Fighter L-BS: Abbeville
Cat.Em 24.03.42 Sgt. W.H. Mills: mia-e 12 Group 19 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: AD551 FW 190s: Abbeville
Cat.Em 24.03.42 Sgt. B. Netocil: p/w 12 Group 19 Sqn. Spitfire Vb: AD307 FW 190s: Abbeville
High-Cover Wing: Tangmere
RAF 11 Gp. 129 Sqn. 12 Spitfire Vb 14.30-16.15 Circus 116B 1 - 0 - 0 FW 190 No casualty L-BS: Abbeville
Claim 24.03.42 F/Lt. H.T. Armstrong 11 Group 129 Sqn. 1 - 0 - 0 FW 190 15.30 ca: Somme Estuary
Summary for Circus 116B at 14.55 RV on 24th March 1942 rail-yards Abbeville. Fighters taking part: 8 squadrons, 96 sorties, 1-0-0 claimed for 4 lost. Bombers taking part: 6 Bostons of RAF 2 Group. Ref: RAF/FC Summary of Sorties (Air 16/1307)