EY-F wreck

[Alex Smart]

http://www.ebay.de/itm/2-x-FOTO-FLUG...3D371485442730

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
78 Sqdn losses Whitley -1939/40

N1487 21/22 July 40 - all crew killed. Believed S/d near Sprakel to the N of Munster.
N1478 14/15 Sept 40 - all crew killed. Lost without trace, Target was Oil tanks at Vlissingen.
P4964 1/2 Oct 40 - all crew killed, crashed Heeenweg, Hummelo,21km E of Arnhem.
T4156 - EY-L 19/20 Nov 40 - all crew POW.[ a/c "L" so not this one].
P5026 28/29 Nov 40 - all crew POW, 1 crew evaded/recaptured, a/c came down on the Isle of Juist .
P4958 2/3 Dec 40 - Crashed on take-off all crew injured but safe.
N1485 13/14 Dec 40 - 3 crew killed a/c abandoned over the Wash.
P4950 28/29 Dec 40 - all crew POW,a/c abandoned, crashed near Lanvollon.


Ref: BCL vol 1 revised.

Alex

[Bertrand H]

Hi Alex,

An old photo of this wreck shows the serial N1361.

Lost on 23/24.05.40.

Bertrand

[Alex Smart]

Hello Bertrand,

Many thanks for the info.

I trawled through BCL vol 1 (revised) but could not find this loss.
However in the original BCL vol 1, I see it on page 68.
Aircraft was on loan to 58 Squadron re an update in vol 2 page 223.

Only one killed, rest of crew POW.
T/o 2300 Linton-on-Ouse. Believed to have crashed in the Ardennes region of Belgium.
F/L I.L.McLaren is buried in Hotton War Cemetery where he is shown as belonging to 78 Squadron.

Of interest I see that in 1941 there were some 44 losses in total, sadly there are few that give a/c in squadron letter, only two are given with letter "F".
78 Squadron.
Z6577 16/17 August 41
Z6948 on7/8 Nov 41

Thanks again Bertrand,
Alex

PS - If N1361 is in the revised vol 1 of BCL then someone please tell me which page please.

[Col Bruggy]

Alex,

Hampden N1361, is mentioned on page 136 of BCL1(Rev.ed.). See also: http://www.rafinfo.org.uk/BCWW2Losses/1939-1940.htm - 3940/068 58/N1361 - Insert 78 Sqn EY-F, borrowed by 58 Sqn.

Col.

[Alex Smart]

Hello Col,

Thanks, I could not find it, was looking for 58 and 78 Squadron in the book, but now see that it is still recorded as "GE-F" code but also now listed as a 51 Squadron aircraft ?

Alex

[Martin Gleeson]

Hello,

The Operational Record Books confirm the loan of Whitleys from 78 Squadron to 58 Squadron for several nights during this time in May 1940. 78 Squadron was still a training unit in May 1940 but shared the airfield of Linton-on-Ouse with 58 Squadron, so it was relatively easy for them to loan aircraft to 58 Squadron. For the night of 23/24 May 1940 78 Squadron loaned two aircraft; one was used as a reserve aircraft while the other flew on operations. The latter was N1361 and it failed to return. The letter 'F' was recorded beside the serial number in the 58 Squadron ORB, but not the unit code. This was normal practice for 58 Squadron at the time.
Their previous 'EY-F', N1436, had been damaged during a mission on 19/20 May 1940.
The reference to '51' Squadron in the revised edition of BCL1 must be a (rare) typo in an otherwise excellent work.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

[Bertrand H]

Good info and precise details ! thanks Martin.

Bertrand