Need loction of PRU pilot loss & capture on 16 August 1940

[Andy Fletcher]

Just had a quick look through the NA Catalogue and the file reference looks like WO 344/73/1

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

As I suspected, Peter Cornwell has reviewed the WO344/1-410 file at the NA(PRO), as a part of his research for his massive volume "The Battle of France Then and Now."

His comments: “I inspected the WO344/1-410 file during research for BoFrT&N. 'Liberated (British) PoW Questionnaires' contains two-page pro-formas briefly describing the circumstances of the individuals capture and were completed on their repatriation. The file includes completed questionnaires by Army/Navy/Air Force personnel and is organized by alpha surname throughout so if CORBETT completed one at least it should be easy to find. It is NOT a complete record as not every returnee completed one. Also, in my experience, very little additional relevant information was gleaned from these documents but what did emerge has already been incorporated into my RAF loss lists."

However, Peter does suggest that a quick check under Corbett's name might be worth doing to see if anything was missed or overlooked. It may well be that either Corbett never completed a questionnaire, or there was nothing useful in it.

Has anyone out there done any research on the PRU Spitfire pilots and operations during 1940, which might have turned up further details on this loss? If so, someone may already have checked out this man's PoW Questionnaire if such exists, and even made a copy of it.

Have any books been published which feature PRU operations in general during 1939-40, that might help educate me on the subject, and perhaps provide further info on other PRU pilot and a/c losses?

I can't spend a lot of time chasing a dead end, but also don't want to assume that there is nothing further to be learned about what happened to PO Corbett.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Observer1940]

Access into The National Archives, Kew, computer yesterday regarding AIR 29/413 Photographic Development Unit (PDU), later 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) ... March 1939 to December 1940 was stating on 11th June 2013 - "WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT".

If visiting TNA to see the ORB, you will need to telephone TNA, Kew beforehand and call it, or request it back first, stating that you wish to see the ORB.

I have had this happen with other files and if you give your contact details, TNA will usually contact you when they have the document back for viewing, but will request it back for you.

Therefore, I could not get a photograph, but would like a copy or photograph of the page/s covering 14th to 16th August 1940 please?

Mark

[Bruce Dennis]

Hi Larry, your PM inbox is full.
Regards,
Bruce

[Larry Hickey]

Bruce,

Please respond directly to the email address attached to my message to you. My PM box is nearly always full.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Larry Hickey]

Mark,

I live in the USA so a visit to the NA (PRO) is not feasible at present, nor would I have the time to do so for a limited search for one person's details. The EoE covers the entire air war 1939-40 on all sides in all countries, and I have to stay focused on the acquisition of major collections of information during my limited trips to the UK and Europe. In certain circumstances, if there is a local person who can help, I have to work through them.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coodinator

[Observer1940]

Hello Larry

I had realised that you were on the other side of the pond.

But I seem to recall that someone had suggested looking at some docs for you, so I posted the notice that the ORB was with a Government Dept for the benefit of others.

There is also a personnel war establishment file for PDU Heston in AIR 2/3096, but whether this records the dates of lost crew is unknown. It was ordered, but returned along with 5 other files unseen, due to being kicked out at closing time.

Mark

[Larry Hickey]

Mark,

Martin Gleeson, who has given a tremendous amount of help to Peter Cornwell on the EoE British loss lists for 1939-40, informs me that he has digitized copy of the PRU ORB for 1940 (AIR 29/413). That doesn't further advance what we already know.

Short of taking another look at the PoW Questionnaire for P.O. Alexander Corbett, and perhaps at the file you mentioned, I'm not sure where we can go from here. I was hoping that Corbett's story might already have been told in the existing post-war literature, but this appears not to be the case.

Perhaps some researcher tracked Corbett down post-war and has an account of his experiences? Is he maybe even still alive?

Anybody else got any ideas on where to go with this? We're going to a huge amount of effort and expense to try and take the story of the 39-40 airwar as far as we can take it, especially casualty information, and this one just kind of disappears into a black hole. We're not even sure of the exact date of his loss.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Observer1940]

Thanks Larry

This sounds like the chap:-

"CORBETT Alexander Boyd (1916-2005)
Royal Air Force / Royal Canadian Air Force World War 2 Prisoner of War Long-time employee of the Ford Motor Company of Canada. At age 88 years, died on March 7, 2005 at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital ... Interment in Merrickville, Ontario at a later date."

Toronto Globe and Mail? Published 12 March 2005, his wife and family were all listed. Surely the Archives Canada / Veterans Affairs Canada / Veterans Association Canada may be able to assist with an official history and even pre RCAF details?

There is supposed to be another Obituary on Ancestry "Daily Times", quite what the paper says and whether it gives a date and how accurate it might be, I have no idea? I am not a subscriber.

I traced the family of a Canadian Pilot (my Grandfather's previous Captain), by getting information from the local Cemetery authority, who gave me the Undertaker / Funeral Director, I wrote by post to the Canadian Funeral Home and the Undertaker was absolutely brilliant and gave me several addresses to try. The late Captain's daughter sent me some lovely A3 colour photocopies of his ORB by post.

Mark

[Larry Hickey]

Mark

This is an excellent lead. This is certainly the pilot whose story we are seeking. Now we just have to find someone, preferably in Canada, who has the time to follow up on this. I'll bet that someone from his survivors/descendants there has the information that we're looking for.

Anybody out there with the opportunity and inclination to follow up on Mark's information?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator