Spitfire Loss, Sgt Manton 610 Squadron, 29 August 1940
There is considerable variation among the sources over the correct serial number for the Spitfire in which Sgt Manton of 610 Squadron was shot down and killed on 29 August. The Squadron's ORB Form 541 lists it as P9433 (E), which was followed by Mason, however, Manton's aircraft was destroyed (a photo in David Bailey' history of 610 shows a complete wreck), while Form 78 lists P9433 continuing to fly until it was struck off charge in October 1944. The official RAF Casualty File for Manton (also reproduced by Bailey) lists it as R6970, but this aircraft was damaged in combat on 26 August, flown by F/O Lamb, and was repaired, with Form 78 listing it continuing to fly until 1943. BoB Then and Now and the BOBCA list it as R6629, with the BOBT&N describing remains recovered by the Robertsbridge Museum, with some fragments in the Kent Battle of Britain Museum. But R6629 was also repaired and Form 78 lists a lenghty sevice history before it was stuck off charge in July 1944.
Can anyone help in identifying the correct serial for Sgt Manton's Spitfire?
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