Graham Hulse

[BruceMk11]

Found a few more 94 Sqn claims, these by F/L Hugh McLachlan (RCAF):

31/5/44: Bf 109

8/7/44: Bf 109

Hulse's Bf 109 dam claim was made 12/11/44.

The unit's last combat was 31/3/45, when a 109 was shot down. This was thought to be Bulgarian and wasn't in fact claimed; it was shared by S/L John Slade, F/O Rodney Simmonds (Rhod), and two others. See FlyPast Jan 2010 for further details!

Bruce

[keith A]

Cheers Bruce,

I read an old article recently about RAF pilots in Korea where Hulse is stated as having three 3 kills in WW2 and 3 in Korea. I assume the kills were the probables claimed on 28 April and 16 July 1943 with the third being the Croatian Me109 in 1945, and did not include the claim for 14 July 1943?

regards

Keith

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by BruceMk11

Hulse's Bf 109 dam claim was made 12/11/44.

The unit's last combat was 31/3/45, when a 109 was shot down. This was thought to be Bulgarian and wasn't in fact claimed; it was shared by S/L John Slade, F/O Rodney Simmonds (Rhod), and two others. See FlyPast Jan 2010 for further details!

I am a bit confused. Was Hulse's claim on 12 Nov. 1944 made against a Bulgarian Bf 109?
And the shared one on 31 March 1945 was also against a Bulgarian Bf 109? Or rather a Croatian one?
Can someone shed a light on this detail?

I am actually looking for Bulgarian victories and losses, that's why the request.

Thanks,

[keith A]

the victory in November was over a Bulgarian aircraft.

best regards


Keith

[Dénes Bernád]

Thank you. Is the location and time known?

[keith A]

Sorry, chum

Not much information I am afraid. The location is given as "over the Vardar Valley". Hope this helps.

best regards

Keith

[keith A]

Sorry for the delay in replying to you Stig. Hulse isn't a common English name and therefore two Hulse's flying Spitfires in Italy in late 1943-early 1944 would be unusual but as you rightly say, not impossible. Plus both Duncan-Smith and a newspaper article mention that he evaded after being shot down, although the newspaper article doesn't state his unit at the time. As you know 81 Squadron went to the Far East in late 1943 and it would not seem likely that Hulse returned from there in 1944 to join 94 Squadron, so it seemed likely that given he was already long into his tour of operations he was transferred to another DAF unit. He isn't mentioned in any accounts of 81 Squadron in Burma.

He is definitely the pilot that joined 213 Squadron in April 1945, probably because 94 Squadron was in the process of disbanding.

cheers

Keith

[Stig Jarlevik]

Keith

You initially claim that "your" Hulse was with 93 Sq (which was based in Italy at the time). Have you abandoned that theory or is there a possibillity of the existance of two Hulse after all?

Looking up Hulse in Shores' Those other Eagles, Hulse is not listed as serving with either 93 or 94 Sq. According to Shores, Hulse was promoted to F/Off on 29 Nov 1943 most probably still with 81 Sq. The damaged claim on 12 Nov 1944 is not listed in this work. Could be an oversight of course...

However with one possible Hulse in 93 Sq and another one in 94 Sq it worries me a bit about the possibillity of a mix up between the two, so is it possible to be 100 exact here?

Cheers
Stig

[Dénes Bernád]

It would be great if the details would be confirmed, as I would like to include the info in a book I am currently working on.

Any further info on Bulgarian victories/losses after 26 August 1944 would be welcome.

Thanks, again,

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by BruceMk11

The unit's last combat was 31/3/45, when a 109 was shot down. This was thought to be Bulgarian and wasn't in fact claimed; it was shared by S/L John Slade, F/O Rodney Simmonds (Rhod), and two others. See FlyPast Jan 2010 for further details!
Bruce

Additionally, this claim should also be clarified. Was this one Bulgarian, too?