[Alex Smart]

Hi,
During my recent research I came across the following.

Navalhistory.net database has the following entry for the 25th June 1941.

FAA 830 Sqn St.Angelo Air Operations.
HOLMES, Dion A,R, S/Lt(A) MPK.
SMITH, John R, Leading Airman - FAA/FX.77523 missing.

These two Naval Airman were crew of Swordfish P3996, 'S'.

Then below

SMITH, John R, Leading Airman - FAA/FX.77522 Died.
(This second SMITH entery is incorrect).

However the Service number FAA/FX.77522 was that of -
Naval Airman 1st class H,W, BROWN, Air Gunner, DSM.

BROWN was a crewmember of Swordfish L9756 of 825 Sqdn that went down in Norway near Trondheim on the 22nd September 1940.
The crew included Lt(A) H, DETERDING (POW Number 1266) and S/Lt(A) D,A, POYNTER MBE ( POW Number 1278), both were at Oflag IXA Spangenberg(Poland?). So far have found no details of Brown's POW details.

The only odd thing is that all three are linked to HMS Furious, but Deterding and Poynter are also linked to HMS Berwick, I cannot see why ?

All three airmen became POW's. POYNTER later escaped only to be recaptured.
All three survived the war.

Alex