eBay: Allied intrest

[Pieter H]

Stig,
trying to answer your questions based on the earlier discussions on this case.
As said several transport aircraft left (about 7) left for Merville, where they all landed but during unloading were strafed by Bf109s.
AW27 Ensign "Elysian" G-ADSZ was destroyed on the ground (many pictures)
DC-3 OO-AUI was immobilised, I'll come back to this one below
SM73 OO-AGZ was damaged and could not take off

SM73 OO-AGS took off with the other Ensigns for the return flight but was hit approaching Calais and crashed at Arques.

The OO-AUI stayed virtually undamaged at Merville. How the pilot Hoare was killed is unclear, possibly in the strafing and was this the reason the aircraft stayed on the ground. (By the way, first time I see this name in the context of this story). On the other hand, sgt Chartier is also mentioned to be a pilot on this flight. He was killed trying to reach allied lines. But he is also mentioned as being part of the OO-AGS crew, so there might be confusion. (He might have been the pilot of the OO-AGZ and returned with the SM73 of his fellow Belgian pilot Victor Moreau).

The flight to Merville was to evacuate the last RAF crews, and indeed the airfield was quickly overrun by the Germans, as witnessed by the pictures of them around the undamaged aircraft.

As discussed earlier, it is highly unlikely the Germans have destroyed the DC-3, they were very eager to capture flyable aircraft. Which leaves two plausible options:
1. sabotage, although I personally think this unlikely at this stage of the war.
2. strafing/bombing by RAF or French aircraft in the following days, after the withdrawal to the Dunkerque perimeter. From then it was clear that every airfield north of the Somme was now in German hands and a big DC3 was not easy to be overlooked.

All in all a pretty desperate operation, with 4 large aircraft out of 7 lost.


Cheers, Pieter