Blenheim Z9550 lost 9 August 1941

[Brian]

Hi guys

I have been given to understand that Blenheim Z9550 may have been shot down by a RAF fighter during a sortie over France on 9 August 1941. Any info please?

Cheers
Brian

[Peter Clare]

Brian

'The 13th Helenic Squadron A Brief History' gives the following :-
28 July 1942 Blenheim VI Z9550 attacked a submarine forcing it to crash dive north of Port Said.

Sorry I cannot add more

regards
Peter

[Brian]

Thanks Peter - obviously not Z9550! Any other candidates?

Cheers
Brian

[Blenheim]

It was Blenheim Mk. IV V5990 of 113 Squadron which was shot down by an RAF night fighter off Mersah Matruh. See Appendix 2 to Chapter 26 of Graham Warner's book for crew details.

[Brian]

Thanks Hugh - I've certainly been lead up the garden path on this one! I do have V5590 recorded in the draft of Volume Two.

Cheers
Brian

[CarverWWBC]

Gentlemen,

My grandfather's autobiography was recently published, and I've discovered something interesting on page 71, possibly relating to this thread...

ACM Sir Frederick Rosier, GCB, CBE, DSO (1915-1998) was the squadron commander of 229 squadron (Hurricanes) when he apparently shot down a 113 squadron Blenheim while sweeping for German bombers over Mersa Matruh, Egypt "on the night of 7th/8th August on one such patrol at 3:25 a.m."

He goes on to say, "It had just dropped its bombs on Mersa Matruh and was illuminated by search lights, when, as it did not show IFF, I shot at it from fairly long range. Fortunately, the crew managed to bail out and were found in hiding the next day... In the subsequent Court of Inquiry the Senior Air Staff Officer ‘SASO’, of the Desert Air Force Group, Group Captain Freddie Guest found the crew guilty of a ‘gross error of navigation’ but he also attached some blame to me for the shooting down. I was certain he had never been placed in a similar situation."

Here's a link to the book: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...d+rosier&ajr=8


- Charles

[Larry]

But is Brian after a Blenheim shot down over France, and as we are talking about August 1941 I'm sure it would have been a mission over Northern France?

[Andy Saunders]

It was a day that I covered in some detail during my research for "Bader's Last Fight" (Grub Street) and I didn't come across any Blenheim losses -although I could have missed something.

Five Blenheims of 226 Sqn took part in Circus 68, but I have them as all returning. I'm not aware of other Blenheim ops that day that sustained losses, but I'm prepared to be corrected!

[paulmcmillan]

All

Brian has a 'incomplete piece of Infomation' that

"Blenheim Z9550 may have been shot down by a RAF fighter during a sortie over France on 9 August 1941" - No one can find this loss....

In fact we find Blenheim Mk. IV V5990 of 113 Squadron was shot down by an RAF night fighter off Mersah Matruh...

This inn fact this was 09/08/1941 V5990, Mk IV FTR shot down by friendly RAF night fighter off Mersa Matruh in raid on Bardia. Sgt G Woodroffe OBS, Sgt Greenless WOp/ Ag KIA, Sgt Sands the pilot survived.


So we have 'Z9550' on 09/08/1941 which probably means the incident is V5990 on 09/08/1941 and the original info only partially right (Aircraft Type and Date) - The serial is approx and the location way off

Now thanks to Charles we find the Hurricane Sqn was 229 squadron and the pilot who was involved and how it all happened....

[Col Bruggy]

Hi Brian,

You're worries are far from over on this one!

8/9 August 1941
No.113 Sqn.
Blenheim IV V5990
Op: Bardia

Took off 2205, LG 15 (Maaten Bagush Satellite), one of eight Blenheims detailed to attack Gazala No.2 (LG 150), and gunnery workshops at Bardia. Shot down off Mersa Matruh by RAF night fighters. The dead are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial.

AUS406037 Sgt (Pilot) William Roy SANDS RAAF* - Safe
AUS404047 Sgt (Obs.) Gordon Burrows WOODROFFE RAAF +
552880 Sgt (W.Op./Air Gnr) Alan Godfrey GREENLEES RAF +

* Sands baled out and was in the water for eight hours before being picked up.

See: BLME1/78.

Despite what Rosier had to say, there is is one other claim which has to be looked at.

JOHNS, George Binmore Squadron Leader. RAF No.s 566718 (NCO); 45543 (Officer).

1941.
8/9 August.
He111*
Hurricane I Z4262
4-5 miles off Mersa Matruh.
Attched to No.73 squadron.

* This was actually Blenheim IV V5990 of 113 squadron, which he shot down in error. The pilot survived but the other two members of the crew were killed.

See: Those Other Eagles/Shores p.305.

Significantly, there are no claims mentioned for Rosier (pp.507-8), on 8/9-8-1941, in the above reference.

Don Minterne's, History of No.73 Squadron Part 2., p.127, is also worth taking a look at. More woes!

Be interesting to see what comes in on this.

Col.