Basil Embry Mosquito 4 August 1944

[Brian]

Hi guys

On the night 4 August 1944, Grp Capt Basil Embry's Mosquito was hit by US anti-aircraft fire whilst flying over France.

Has anyone details of serial number etc? Location?

Cheers
Brian

[Hans Nauta]

Hi Brian,

From which unit was that Mosquito? This would help narrowing down searching in ORB's.

Regards,
Hans

[Brian]

Hi Hans

2 Group Mosquito, probably from 137, 138 or 140 Wing!

Thanks

Brian

[Leendert]

According to 2 TAF, Vol. 2, Mosquitos were active over Normandy. On 4.8.1944 Embry flew a "night interdiction" sortie.
Same night another Mosquito was hit by friendly AA and had to abandoned (also in 2 TAF).

Regards,

Leendert

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
464 lost HX858 but it was not this a/c ?
151 lost two, HR209 (Wraight) and PZ185 (Chudleigh).
just to help eliminate.
Alex

[Allan125]

Originally Posted by Brian

Hi guys

On the night 4 August 1944, Grp Capt Basil Embry's Mosquito was hit by US anti-aircraft fire whilst flying over France.

Has anyone details of serial number etc? Location?

Cheers
Brian

Hello Brian

His rank was a tad higher than a Group Captain at this time as well. As the OC of 2 Group he was an AVM, but flew operationally as Wing Commander Smith.

Allan

[Hans Nauta]

Hi Allan and Brian,

Aha, that might explain why I couldn't find AVM Embry in the ORB's.

There is, however, a W/Cdr I. S. Smith mentioned in the ORB of 487 Sqdn. With navigator F/Lt R. A. Marsh an attack was carried out at a Railway bridge on position S.4952 (this should be East of Meaux). Involved Mosquito was HP924 EG-T. Nothing about ack-ack damage, though...

For the record, above action took place in the night of 4/5th August 1944.

Regards,
Hans

[Allan125]

Hello Hans

I would be very surprised if he had been in any ORB as flying operationally as AVM Embry, as that would have made it official - and not permitted for someone of such high rank (and position - as O.C. 2 Group) to fly on ops - hence W/Cdr Smith (he was also wanted for killing a German guard when he escaped in 1940)

His usual navigator was Peter Clapham, a fighter controller, who had been declared unfit for aircrew duties, and they flew together for years.

In "Mission Completed" he writes "On the night of August 4th, Peter Clapham, who was flying regularly as my navigator, and I had a lucky escape when flying in support of American forces through failure on their part to tell us they had formed a gun-defended area in a zone astride the corridor they had previously told us to follow when we flew over their section of the front to reach our patrol area. We had been in the corridor about five minutes, flying at about a thousand feet, when light anti-aircraft guns opened up on us simultaneously from several directions and we were caught in a criss-cross of fire....." it goes on for about another 11 cm, which I will not be typing (!), but it does not give the squadron, nor location - so as not W/Cdr I S Smith, look for any pilot who has a P Clapham as his nav and you have found him!!

Basil Embry was my father's O.C. at A.A.F.C.E. Fontainebleau in the early fifties.

cheers

Allan

[Brian]

Thanks guys

Most interesting and informative - I await more!!

Cheers
Brian