Swordfish shot down near Brest

[Khorat]

Today I got a photo, showing german soldiers insprecting the remains of a Swordfish - only information at the backside: shot down near Brest.

Any inforamtion availiable ?

regards from Thailand
Khorat

[Pilot]

Where is the photo?

[RossGmann]

Luftwaffe claims against Swordfish Aircraft www.luftwaffe.cz/wick.html (read article) www.luftwaffe.cz/wilcke.html Entry# 6 www.luftwaffe.cz/greisert.html Entry# 21, 22 www.luftwaffe.cz/gallandp.html Entry# 4 Kind regards Ross

[Stéphane Lehuédé]

According to "Raids aériens sur la Bretagne", N° 812 Sqn lost a Swordfish during a mission over Brest on 11/12 December 1940.

[Gildas]

Dear Khorat

I find your thread about this picture only today, a few years after you posted it.
A liile about me and some friends.

I am a 43 years old aircraft technician at Brest-Guipavas Flying Club and, for many years, I have had a great passion for everything to do with the Occupation and the Liberation of my area of France during the Second World War. As far as aviation is concerned, a few friends and I are trying to find the crash-site of every aircraft. I do this for the north west part of Brest, which already represents around one hundred different aircraft. For each one, our aim is to find the crash-site, the date of the crash, the aircraft squadron, type and number, and the name of each crew member.
We often find some remains of these aircraft, sometimes some photos, and try to get in touch with veterans or their next of kin in order to obtain exact accounts and photos of each airman, or of the aircraft. With my friend Jean Tréguer from Kernilis, we now do have remains from about 100 different aircraft. Two other friends joined us now.
We hope to find an opportunity to display everything we’ll have gathered as remains, documents and pictures in a museum in Brest area as soon as possible, just to keep the memory of those who had to come and fight in our now peaceful area.

I located four Swordfish in our area :
11/12/1940 in the night, Swordfish I, 812 Sqn Naval Air Sqn , s/n L2748.
It crashed against an embankment. The crew of two was buried at Brest.
Its a particular account from local farmers who allowed me to have the date, then I found a loss in the Flet Air Arm that could match. We found a few remains of it.
30-4/1-5/44, 0 h 31, three 838 Sqn Swordfish lost in the night for the M-156 attack in the Aber-Wrac’h.
One sunk in the bay, the crew being buried at Brest, a second one on the coast, crew being buried at Plouguerneau, and we found a few remains of it, the last one lost at sea. I’m in touch with a relative of one crew member for this one, and found a picture of another.

Now, you may understand how much I would appreciate to see any existing picture of this Swordfish crashed « near Brest ».

Contact :


M. Gildas SAOUZANET
12 rue du sphinx
29840 Lanildut
France
Tél 02 98 04 42 54
E-mail : gidas4044ATfree.fr