Loss of Master MkII W9017 on 4th Sept 1943

[Larry]

The Miles Master II W9017 is recorded as being shot down by an enemy aircraft at night and it crashed near Cabourne Parva, Caister Lincolnshire.

It belonging to RAF College Cranwell.

Can any one tell me the name of the pilot who was killed. I believe he was Free French.

And out of interest would a Master be flying solo in the dark if it was on strength to the RAF College Cranwell?

I thought that RAF College Cranwell was a place to learn to be an officer rather than a place to learn to fly in the dark?

[Larry]

I have just found that RAFC had its own SFTS and it was actually based at RAF Caister.

So now I need to know who shot the aircraft down and of course I still need to find the name of the Free French (?) pilot.

I have read that the Luftwaffe returned to carrying out intruder ops over the UK in August 1943, for the first time since Oct 1941 but I cannot find a claim for 4th Sept 1943

[Henk Welting]

Larry,
I've:
F/O (Fl.Instr.) Leonard F. CHAPMAN - 122374, and
P/O (u/t) Hakki AKARCAY - Turkish AF. (buried Brookwood Mil. Cem., Woking)
Regards,
Henk.

[dp_burke]

Both names, the Turkish airman, aged 21, are registered in the Caistor registration district in that quarter of the year.

freebmd.org.uk

Caistor vol 7a pg 592

A thread with Turkish deaths in Britain during the war.
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtop...turkish+pilots

[Larry]

Many thanks for this info

Obviously I have been mistaken over the aircraft.

Thats whats great about this site!

However I now know the pilot I am looking for; Jean Herbert

He is said to have been lost of the east coast in 1943 but now I am not certain what aircraft he was flying but so I am told it was more likely a training flight or a training aircraft rather than on Ops.

Is there a register of Free French Airmen that would give details?

Sadly a web search shows only details of other unrelated French individuals

[paulmcmillan]

There is a a book "Aviateurs de la Liberté" that lists all Free French Casulaties - If someone dose not lookup Jean Herbert for you here.. Try RAFCommands