312 Squadron - 1941 Hurricane losses

[Andy Saunders]

Can anyone throw any further light on the collision between two Hurricanes on 23/6/41 at 13.06 over Maidstone.

Plt Off Kruml evidently baled out of Z3436 with Sgt Mensik making a forced-landing at Detling. I have Mensik in Z3589.

The details I have seem a bit garbled, but the above is what I have deduced thus far.

Can anyone confirm the details, and what Kruml and Mensik were doing?

Was it an Operational flight?

Since my next visit to Kew is some weeks away I wonder if anyone can fill in the missing details - or correct what I have?

[Alain57]

Hello Andy ,

Perhaps this can help a little :
1941-06-23

Jurby
Night Fying Practices.
http://orb.polishaf.pl/302sqn/1941-3...-squadron-f540


Greetings
Alain
Belgium

[Franek Grabowski]

It will help to look for 312 Sqn.

[Andy Saunders]

Franek!

Ah...that might be the problem here.

As 303 were at Jurby I suppose it is unlikely that they were flying over Maidstone.

Unfortunately, the spanner in the works seems to be the Air Britain Serial lists which give Z3436 as 302 Squadron, although I now see that Z3589 is given as 312 Squadron. Clearly we are dealing with 312 Squadron. The perils of over-reliance on published/non-primary sources!

Anyway....same question applies.

For 302 read 312!

[Alain57]

Sorry gentlemen,

Checked the wrong squadron

Alain

[VoyTech]

Originally Posted by Andy Saunders

As 303 were at Jurby

For 303 read 302!

Unfortunately, the spanner in the works seems to be the Air Britain Serial lists which give Z3436 as 302 Squadron

I think 302 and 312 exchanged their aircraft about that time. Perhaps they forgot to mention that in a/c movement cards. I think Robert Gretzyngier said something about it in "Poles in Defence of Britain". He also described it in Polish Wings 4
http://www.mmpbooks.biz/books/ps/ps_4.htm
but that's in Polish only, I'm afraid.

[jiri]

Dear Andy,
it was ops sortie, escort of Blenheims to Chocques (Circus 19), take-off 12.40 from Kenley.
F/O Tomas Kruml bailed out in the vicinity of Maidstone from Z3436 (not Z3501 as ORB stated) - I see Kruml´s Pilots Flying Log Book. Z 3501 left No 312 Sqdn 13 Dec 1941 and on 2 Aug 1945 was sold to French AF.
Sgt Josef Mensik force landed his Z2987. Machine was repaired and later (23 Oct 1941) sent to Soviet Union under Lend-Lease Act.
Kruml died 28 Jan 1994 in Brno, Czechoslovakia, age 82,
Mensik was shot down 8 July 1941 flying Z3327, baled out over Lisbourg, evaded and via Spain reached England 21 Oct 1941. He was KIFA 24 Apr 1943 near Swanton Morley as Flying Officer, member of No 68 NF Sqdn, during NFT, Beaufighter V8567 (WM-B).
jiri

[Andy Saunders]

Voytech

Thanks for that!

Yes, 302 for 303....of course! Finger trouble on the keyboard.

(I am e-mailing you tonight with a full reply to your various message and a copy of item requested!)

Andy