Loss of 487 Sqn Mosquito 13 March 1944

[Graham Watts]

Hi, I hope someone can help.

My cousin (once removed) David Priddle was lost on operations on 13 March 1944. He was the navigator and I believe his pilot was Malcom Barriball.

A source that I have lost indicated that they had been on a raid to a flying bomb site at Herboville and on return were hit by flack over the coast and went into the sea. I cannot find any reference to the location of 'Herboville'.

Hoping someone can help with more information such as the Number of the aircraft, more details of the operation and the location of 'Herboville'.

Thanks, Graham

[Leendert]

Graham,

A Mosquito production list gives HX857 of 487 Squadron as being lost on 13.3.44 after a mission to Herbouville. Apparently came down in the Channel.

There are some towns in France called Herbouville, so which one needs to be determined...

Regards,

Leendert

[Peter Clare]

2nd Tactical Air Force Vol.1 -C. Shores / C. Thomas gives the following

13 March 1944

487 Squadron
Mosquito VI HX857 'L'

Hit by flak, ditched 30 miles north of Sotteville aprox 1600 hrs

P/O. M E P. Barriball +
P/O. D A. Priddle +

[Andrei Demjanko]

According to 2 TAF vol.1 the Mosquito FB.VI HX857 of 487 Squadron ditched 30 miles north of Sotteville. It could be Sotteville-sur-Mer, which located on the Channel coast just north-west of Herbouville, Saint-Ouen-le-Mauger

[Graham Watts]

Thanks very much gentlemen!

My problem in finding Herbouville was due to a spelling error in the original text of my source. I deduced that P/O Barriball was the pilot as he was lost on the same day and the fact that they were crewmates in a Ventura (AE846) take off accident at No.34 OTU Pennfield Ridge Jan 18 1943. They would have been good mates having been together for 14 months. David's sister told me that some members of 487 Sqn visited their parents after the war. David was an Aussie (RAAF) and Malcom was a Kiwi..

Thanks again for your help.
Graham

[Laurent Rizzotti]

There is one Herbouville near Dieppe, a credible place for a V-1 site.

http://www.maplandia.com/france/haut...e/herbouville/

Soteville-sur-Mer is on the coast almost due north of this place.

[Graham Watts]

Thanks Laurent

I found those places on google earth and it certainly would be the place although I had no luck finding Herbouville information on the Atlantikwall site.

Cheers

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Originally Posted by Graham Watts

Thanks Laurent

I found those places on google earth and it certainly would be the place although I had no luck finding Herbouville information on the Atlantikwall site.

Cheers

Problem is that these V-1 sites were built in woods between villages and rather small, so it is quite classical that the French use one location name, the Germans another and the Allied a third for the same site.

There were 117 V-1 sites built in 43-44 in Seine-Maritime according to a traveler book I have on Normandy (no list included...).

Another book could be useful if you manage to find it and are able to read French: "L'enfer des V 1 en Seine-Maritime durant la seconde guerre mondiale". As far as I remember (i read it years ago, after finding it in a public library now 800 km from where I live), it is describing both V-1 falling near their launching places and Allied bombing raids against these sites, and the effect of both on nearby French villages and population.

[Graham Watts]

Thank you Laurent for that reference. Unfortunately this Aussie cannot read French and I am unlikley to find that book over here. I have however found some more references to the action that I will leave here in case they may be of interest to someone in the future.

The first is an Australian War Memorial document (pdf) listing those missing with no known grave. See page 383.

http://www.awm.gov.au/catalogue/rese...9125z019_1.pdf

And a reference to the pilot P/O Barriball..

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nb...riball_MEP.htm

Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated.

Graham