Hurricane lost 9 December 1939

[Peter T]

I’m looking for information a Hurricane that landed on 9/12/1939 in Esplechin (Belgium) close to the French border. The pilot escaped over the border. The plane was interned by the Belgian authorities. Belgian sources identify this Hurricane as 1. Sq. plane. The pilot should have been a “Red” Thomas?

Many thanks

[Flupke]

Hello Peter
As far as I know it was the N2361 without markings pilot Sgt Howell "Dinky" (EVD)
Made an emergency landing at Esplechin (near the farm "La Blanche") at 16H15
Continental ferry pool mission, It was by mistake, he was thinking that he was in France , the A/C was transferred at the 2/I/2Aé into the Belgian air force , one of the very few 3 blade Hurricanes I have also the information on a Thomas "Red" maybe it’s his first name
Regards
Phil

[Peter T]

Many thanks Phil,

This confirms what I was thinking.

However, I do not think this plane was really used by the Belgian airforce. I have seen a photograph showing N2361 standing completely dismantled in the hangar on Wevelgem airfield. There are no codes on the plane, but the serial is clearly visible.

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Hi Peter
I have written about this and others RAF's Hurrricane in my book (Hurricane in Foreign Service) in 2001 and also in the 2 articles about Belgain Hurricanes and later Belgain Miliatry Aviation (in Militaria i Fakty no 1/2000 and 2/2002). The HC's history is more or less know.

This specific plane had come form 43. Sqn RAF. he unit had based at Acklington in Britain and did serve as a "transfer/ferry" unit to others sqns on the Continent. The pilot was from the 1. Sqn RAF. Maybe the plane was exactly for 1 Sqn (?).
The plane did not have any unit's codes and numbers -it was factory fresh plane. The former 3 HCs, which where taken by Belgian were from combat units based in France.

This plane had crashed on 2 III 1940 in Bierset. He had Belgian Air Force markings (H-39 the most probably). He was piloted by Albert Van den Hoved'Erstsenrijk during the accident. He had force landed. In the hangar he could be kept there for rapair, but during the crash he was haevly damged I wonder if the pilot did survived from it?

Regards,

Mirek Wawrzyński
PS
There is one well know photo of him with van den Hoved'Erstsenrijk in the cabine.

[Peter T]

Hi Mirek,
this is definitely not the plane crashed by Capt. Van den Hove. N2361 was dismantled by the Belgians on the Wevelgem airfield. I have photographic evidence that it was still in the hangar when the Germans captured the airfield.

[Peter Cornwell]

Hi Peter,

Have been off-line lately & still struggling with connectivity problems. This is what I have:

9 December 1939

87 SQUADRON Hurricane N2361. Lost bearings in failing light and haze during delivery flight from Glisy to Lille-Seclin and forced-landed at La Blanche, near Esplechin in Belgium 4.15 p.m. Sergeant G. L. Nowell unhurt, escaped across the border, and returned to unit. Aircraft abandoned.
This aircraft did not subsequently serve with the Belgian Air Force as it was equipped to an entirely different specification to their own Hurricanes. It was discovered in a hangar at Wevelghem during the German advance in May 1940.

Let me know if I need to change anything.

Regards,

Peter C.

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Hi Peter T & Peter C

There is something strange, there is one well know photo of this Hurricane with 3 blade properel with Belgian markings (black H is well visble on the right wing, pilot standing in the cocpit).

I also have seen the photo for quite badly damaged H-39 (which is probably the code for this HC). There was only one HC with Rotol propeler the rest were with 2 blades and he had got (most probably the serial H-39). The licence produced got over H-40.

The differences between this last one and the others (bought and 3 force landed and taken on the inventory) were not so greta to make so big problems during theier use. He was a little bit faster but he was also HC Mark I and all the rest was almost the same.

1. To Peter C: where do you came from an infor about 87 Sqn HC?
2. To Peter T: which HC was crashed then by Capt. Van den Hove if not H-39?


Regards,

Mirek Wawrzynski

[montana]

Hi Peter,

From a Belgian report I have the following information : "On the December 9th 1939 at around 4.15 p.m. an English aircraft Hurricane landed on a field at Esplechin at a place named "La Ferme Blanche" at 400 m. from the French border. The pilot ran away after a farmer showed him the direction of the border. Some times later, seeing nobody near his aircraft, the pilot came back to take some papers in the aircraft. The aircraft had no codes and the 8 guns weren't loaded. Notes from the aircraft and engine said :"off the production line 30-XI-39, in unit 3-XII-39". The aircraft was intact, but the right undercarriage leg was twisted and the three bladed propeller was damaged."
I think N2361 was a new aircraft to be delivered to the 87 Sqn by Sgt "Dinky" Howell.
It's "Cheval" Lallemant who mentioned the name "Red" Thomas in several books saying this pilot told him this story before he was killed during the Battle of Britain...

[Peter Cornwell]

[quote=Mirek Wawrzynski]Hi Peter T & Peter C

1. To Peter C: where do you came from an infor about 87 Sqn HC?

The information can be found in the No.87 Squadron ORB held in NA(PRO) Microfilm AIR27/712.

I would like to know if this aircraft was ever issued with a Belgian Air Force serial.

Regarding Van Den Hove's aircraft on 2 March 1940 I currently have the following:

2/I/2 Hurricane (H.39). Damaged by return fire from Do 17 of 1.(F)/22 intercepted over St-Hubert and ground-looped when port undercarriage collapsed in forced-landing at Bierset. Capt. A. E. A. van den Hove d’Ertsenrijck injured. Aircraft a write-off.
Albert Emmanuel Alix van den Hove d’Ertsenrijck was another Belgian pilot who later reached England to join the RAF. He flew Hurricanes with Nos. 501 and 43 Squadrons during the Battle of Britain until his death in action on 15 September 1940 . Exhumed and repatriated to the Pelouse d’Honneur Cemetery at Brussels-Evère on 20 October 1949.

Somebody let me know if this needs changing. Over to you Peter T.

[paulmcmillan]

Originally Posted by Peter Cornwell

Sergeant G. L. Nowell

Would that be Gareth Leofric Nowell 740099 (later 146389 on commission) DFM (and bar)