Downed Fairey Battle D-RH

[Griffon]

Hello all!

I also posted this over at the LEMB.

recently, I had a look through the pictures, my own late granddad took in WW2; currently I do have one album full of pictures, unfortunately there are not many plane pictures in it, which is a pitty considering he flew with the LW during the whole war, but a few good pictures can be found-and here is one of them:

can anyone identify the where, when and how this bird was shot down?

cheers
phil

[mhuxt]

Hi:

My info says RH was 88 Squadron.

Background info on the Battle of France and AASF losses here:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary_france.html

Looks like it was between 10 May and 14 May 1940 - no mention of Battles being used thereafter.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hallo Phil

Few aeroplanes have been more suicidal to fly than the Battle during the early days of the Battle of France. The type littered the fields where the German Army passed through and if you have checked e-bay (the German version) it seems almost every soldier somewhere in his album got a downed Battle "somewhere in France"!!
The code itself simply identifies the British unit and aeroplane within that unit.
Unless you are able to read the SERIAL number at the rear fuselage end of this Battle it will probably be hopeless to pinpoint exactly which one this is.

I agree with what mhuxt has stated as well

B Rgds
Stig

[Griffon]

hello guys!

well, I think that this Battle is the rather "famous" Battle that got photographed leading a pack of French AirForce Hawk 75s.

my own granddad flew with a transport unit during that time and I guess he came around quite a bit-unfortunately I cannot provide any caption other than "crash landed Tommy", which was the captioning of the photo in the album

so I thought I´d ask here

[Larry Hickey]

I have this as an 88 SQ Battle that crash-landed in Luxembourg on May 11th, with crew taken POW. I believe that this was P2251.

Regards

[Larry Hickey]

Phil,

Further digging confirms that this was P2251 crash-landed (according to my info) in Luxembourg on the morning of May 11, 1940. The captured crew was F/Lt A.J. Madge, Sgt. E.J.M. Whittle and Cpl A.C. Collyer. P. 93 of Franks' book "Valient Wings" says that "He (P/O Riddell saw Flight Lieutenant Madge land in a field between Bastogne and Neufchatel with wheels up." Without looking at a map, I don't know if that is consistent with a location in Luxembourg.

Would you contact me on the private message board above. I have another photo of this aircraft.

Regards

[Peter Cornwell]

I can add little other than to confirm as follows:

Battle P2251. Badly damaged by ground fire during attack on enemy column near Bouillon and belly-landed between Vaux-sur-Sure and Bercheux, north of Juseret, 10.30 a.m. Flight Lieutenant A. J. Madge and Corporal A. C. Collyer captured. Sergeant E. J. M. Whittle killed. Aircraft RH*D a write-off.

[montana]

Battle RH-D/P2251 was hit during an attack against German columns on the road Martelange-Neufchâteau and belly-landed near Juseret at a place named "Besagibet". Sgt Edward J.M. Whittle was already dead when the German made the other members of the crew POW.

[mhuxt]

Originally Posted by Stig Jarlevik

The type littered the fields where the German Army passed through and if you have checked e-bay (the German version) it seems almost every soldier somewhere in his album got a downed Battle "somewhere in France"!!

Prophetic words Stig - there's *another* pic of a downed Battle in Ed West's latest group. 105 Squadron machine this time, GB-B.

It's the link which ends ...184.