16th April 1943 - Mediterranean Spit losses

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Chris, thanks for the correct name of G/C "Jackie" Darwen. May I ask you if you do have information about his loss on 07th October 1943? ( Acft number and codes, for example? ). He was OC 239 Wing, but I do not know if he was flying a Kittihawk or a Mustang that day.
MARCO: Thanks again for the 111 Squadron inforamation. I do have all 3 JG 53 books by PRIEN back home and can take a careful look to match the losses and claims that day. I will post it here, as soon as I got home ( I am now some 3.000 km away from home ).
VOYTECH: I do not know your name, but thanks for posting a picture of F/L Shand from 145 Squadron. Very kind of yours.
May I ask both of you if the name of SGT J K ROSTANT is the correct name? I tried to find his service number or his complete name but got no joy! Are you sure this is the correct name of W/C Gleed´s wingman on that day?
Yours
Adriano

[Chris Goss]

I believe it was a Kittyhawk

[CENTURION]

Hello All,

Adriano: I confirm that, according to Shore's "Fighters over Tunisia", the name of the wingman of W/C Gleed is SGT J K ROSTANT.
VoyTech: thank you for the clarification.

Regards
Marco

[marcus78]

Originally Posted by Adriano Baumgartner

Chris, thanks for the correct name of G/C "Jackie" Darwen. May I ask you if you do have information about his loss on 07th October 1943? ( Acft number and codes, for example? ). He was OC 239 Wing, but I do not know if he was flying a Kittihawk or a Mustang that day.
MARCO: Thanks again for the 111 Squadron inforamation. I do have all 3 JG 53 books by PRIEN back home and can take a careful look to match the losses and claims that day. I will post it here, as soon as I got home ( I am now some 3.000 km away from home ).
VOYTECH: I do not know your name, but thanks for posting a picture of F/L Shand from 145 Squadron. Very kind of yours.
May I ask both of you if the name of SGT J K ROSTANT is the correct name? I tried to find his service number or his complete name but got no joy! Are you sure this is the correct name of W/C Gleed´s wingman on that day?
Yours
Adriano

SGT J K Rostant was my grandfather known as Keith Rostant. And can confirm he was wingman to Gleed. Keith died about 8 years ago in Scotland.

[ryantxr]

I've been doing some research on the Rostant family. I'm pretty sure that JK Rostant's real name was John Keith Rostant. Any official records would probably have used that name.

[Col Bruggy]

Originally Posted by Adriano Baumgartner

Chris, thanks for the correct name of G/C "Jackie" Darwen. May I ask you if you do have information about his loss on 07th October 1943? ( Acft number and codes, for example? ). He was OC 239 Wing, but I do not know if he was flying a Kittihawk or a Mustang that day.
MARCO: Thanks again for the 111 Squadron inforamation. I do have all 3 JG 53 books by PRIEN back home and can take a careful look to match the losses and claims that day. I will post it here, as soon as I got home ( I am now some 3.000 km away from home ).
VOYTECH: I do not know your name, but thanks for posting a picture of F/L Shand from 145 Squadron. Very kind of yours.
May I ask both of you if the name of SGT J K ROSTANT is the correct name? I tried to find his service number or his complete name but got no joy! Are you sure this is the correct name of W/C Gleed´s wingman on that day?
Yours
Adriano

Hello,

Re: The identity of W/C J Darwen's Kittyhawk, lost on 7 October, 1943. HMAW4/Shores et al, page 402 has the following:

Thursday, 7 October 1943.

British Casualties.

239 Wg - Kittyhawk II left 1625, shot down by flak in the Palata area; Wg Cdr J. Darwen DSO, DFC and bar, KiA.

260 Sqn - Kittyhawk III FR868 left 1625, shot down by flak in the Palata area(No 2 to Wg Cdr Darwen) Sgt K. R. Trevelyan KiA.

It is known that Kittyhawk III FR868 was Darwen's personal a/c, marked "JD". Seems strange that Sgt Trevelyan was flying Darwen's personal aircraft. Can someone confirm which aircraft W/C Darwen was flying on 7 October, 1943?

Col.