Fleet Air Arm action

[E Sims]

Thank you Kaki3152 for the link.

And thank you, Keith, for the names of the Wildcat pilots. I read your data as Harrison and Moore splitting one credit and then one credit each to Bird, Harrison, and Womack. Is that correct?

So, three shot down and one damaged versus four claims for shoot downs and at least one damaged (Kaki3152's supplied link notes that Bird claimed a "damaged") . . . pretty close then, claims to actuals.

The London Gazette reports Womack and Bird being awarded the DSC; were Moore or Harrison similarly decorated?

My sincere thanks, again, to you both.

Elliott

[Mark E Horan]

Lieutenant Ronald Arthur Bird, RN, flying Wildcat VI JV-792, code SA, credited with a Bf-109 destroyed and another damaged on 26.03.45, was killed as a member of 794 Squadron on 10.04.46 when his Seafire disintegrated in the air. On 26.06.45 he was awarded the DSC for his participation in air actions in March and April 1945, and again on 09.08.45 for his participation in Operation Judgement. His awards having never been invested or presented, were posted to his next of kin.

Temporary Acting Sub-Lieutenent (A) Alan Frederick Womack, RNVR, flying Wildcat VI JV-709, code SW, credited with a Bf-109 destroyed on 26.03.45, was also awarded the DSC on 26.06.45 for his participation in air actions in March and April 1945. The award was invested on 13.11.45.

Temporary Sub-Lieutenant (A) Ronald F. Moore, RNVR, flying Wildcat VI JV-768, coded SX, credited with a Bf-109 shared destroyed on 26.03.45, received no awards in the war.

Temporary Sub-Lieutenant (A) J. A. P. Harrison, RNVR, flying an unknown Wildcat VI, credited with a Bf-109 shared destroyed and another damaged on 26.03.45, received no awards in the war.

For the record, the aircraft type was the Wildcat VI, not a USN FM-2 (there are differences) just as the bombers were Avengers, not USN TBFs (or TBMs).

Mark E. Horan