73 Sqn Loss 7 April 1940

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo,
.
This incident has caused problems because it has always been assumed that F/O Brotchie baled out. In fact he did not. The 73 Squadron ORB records the following concerning Brotchie on 7 April 1940;
“Another bullet caused a leak in the glycol, but not sufficient to prevent the wounded pilot bringing his a/c home”. Later on the same page we find; “At about 14.30 hours a shower of propaganda leaflets in French was seen to be falling though no a/c had been heard. Some of them were picked up on the aerodrome, within a few yards of F/O Brotchie’s machine……”
Brotchie was flying Hurricane TP-X and had landed back at 12.05 a.m. (All from the 73 Squadron ORB)
.
Steve was right to highlight ‘landed’, but the book left it open to interpretation.
I believe Chis is correctto assign P2542 to this incident.
.
AIR 35/196 (Aircraft Casualties, BAFF) at Kew lists one Hurricane casualty for 73 Squadron on 7 April 1940 and identifies it as P2542.
The few details record that the pilot was slightly wounded and his aircraft suffered Category 2 damage. The location was given as Boulay, SE of Metz. In the column noting the damage was caused by an enemy aircraft it also indicates the Hurricane crashed (‘Cr.’) but this must be an error based on the known evidence.
.
The Form 78 for P2542 records that it went to '2 Sal. Sect.' on 17-4-40 (sic), then to 21 AD on 16-4-40 (sic) and finally to 73 Sqn. on 18-6-40 (suggesting - if the date is correct -that they must have picked it up at Nantes before departing France. This is confirmed in Don Minterne’s book. P2542 continued in service with 73 Squadron up to 14 September 1940 when it was definitively shot down and lost.
.
Regards,
.
Martin Gleeson.

[paulmcmillan]

Martin

Thanks for sorting this out makes perfect sense now, I never picked up the double meaning of "landing" that Steve underlined

The fact that he landed in P2542 (subsequently lost Sept 14th 1940) and did not bale out would actually explain his omission for the Irvin list I have up to end of April 1940 - when others from the same date April 7, 1940 were included (and from my evidence in other incidents before May) Units in France were quick to get there application into Irvin, certainly F/O Edgar James "Cobber" Kain in L1766 on March 26, 1940 is on it!

and the fact the serial is listed unknown in the books listed in this post. A 'lost' 100% write-off Hurricane of 73 Sqn could not be found!

I have moved this from my 'more info required' to 'sorted'

Thanks again and at least we can put this to query to bed now after 73 years

Paul

[markjsheppard]

Hi Paul,

Repaired and coded 'D' and flown back on the 18th by McGraw.

18 June The last day for 73 squadron in France and the most hectic. On this day, the Germans were literally up the road. P/O Carter’s diary indicates the Squadron posted a look out 10 miles north of the airfield. P/O Carter had undertaken two of the three patrols (Sgt JJ Brimble the other) this morning in P3351/’K’ and he was having problems. He indicates P3351 was using unusually high amounts of Glycol–a gallon an hour. At 13-15 a section of the squadron was ordered to patrol but P3351 stayed on the ground as he wished to keep it serviceable if they had to fly home. About half an hour later the look out said the German were coming up the road and he was off. The pilots still on base were in the mess and were ordered off. The pilots in the air had just enough time to land and refuel before they to took off for England.

At 14-00 P/O Carter took off in Hurricane P3351/‘K’ and headed back to UK with approximately 18 other Hurricanes, possibly more. After refuelling at Tangmere, the Hurricanes headed for there new base at Church Fenton, Yorkshire, landing at 17-20.

The Hurricanes that are known to have flown home are listed below.

'A' Flight: P2815/'A'–P/O Rutter, P2984/'B'-P/O Scott, P3034/'C'-Sgt Griffin, P2542/'D'-P/O McGaw, N2386/'E'-Sgt Webster, L2047/'F'-Sgt Corfe, P3647/'G'-P/O Smith, L1968/'H'-Sgt Marshall, P3456/'J'-O/C 'A' Flight F/Lt Nicholls, P3351/'K'-P/O Carter, P2953/'L'-Sgt Scott

'B' Flight: P3785/'P'-Sgt Plenderleith, P2975/'Q'-Sgt Garton, P2869/'S'- C/O S/Ldr More, L1965/'V'-Sgt Leng, P2962/'W'-P/O Langham-Hobart, P2875/'X'-P/O Eliot, P3398/'Z'-P/O Drake. There were also six other pilots and possibly three Hurricanes that returned although the identity letter of the Hurricanes is not known at present.

regards

Mark

PS They were at Nantes.

[paulmcmillan]

Mark

Very interesting addition to the story

Thanks

Paul

[JohnE]

Mark Sheppard, thank you very much for this.

Do you have the full name of F/Lt Nicholls?

John Engelsted

[Chris Goss]

34224 Charles William Kelvin Nicholls. He took over A Flt 28 May & then went to A&AEE July 40

[JohnE]

Thank you very much.

John