Civil Airliner losses Battle of France

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo,
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I agree with Peter Cornwell about the fate of DC-3 'OO-AUI'.
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Sabena in 1940 had only two DC-3s and no DC-2s. The massive Air-Britain DC-1/-2/-3 publication confirms this and also seems to account satisfactorily for all of the Dutch DC-2/DC-3s. So apart from photographic evidence a process of elimination leaves OO-AUI as the only possible aircraft to match these photos.
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The 24 Squadron Operational Record Book has nothing on the events of 23 May 1940 unforunately due to a gap in its records.
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I had forgotten about the 'AIR ENTHUSIAST', No. 13 article quoted by Col Bruggy. Some extra details and corrections were given in follow-up letters in issues 14 and 15. These and Pieter's summary lead me to put forward the following for discussion. It seems probable to me the aircraft that crashed on 23 May 1940 (losing a wing and leaving two pilots dead and two crewmen badly injured) was not DC-3 'OO-AUI' but rather the SIAI Marchetti S.73 'OO-AGS'. It is generally reported that it was shot down by enemy aircraft soon after take-off from Merville.
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Combining information from 'AIR ENTHUSIAST' nos. 13 and 15 the crew of S.73 'OO-AGS' were almost certainly;
Raymond Chartier (pilot), killed
Victor Moreau (pilot), killed
Armand Peeters (radio officer), badly injured
..........Leysen (flight mechanic), badly injured.
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What may help - if anyone has access to it - is the ORB for 271 Squadron RAF, another transport unit. Four of the S.73s, including OO-AGS, were assigned to 271 Squadron, while two more S.73s and the two DC-3s went to 24 Squadron.
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It would be of interest too to learn exactly where the two Belgian pilots are buried (Arques, Merville or elsewhere). Plus their correct titles in the airline.
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Hope this helps and looking forward to further discussion on the subject.
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Martin Gleeson.

[paulmcmillan]

Martin

I have the following from various sources

CHARTIER Raymond Emille Serial Number 258/2226 of Belgian Air Force Pilot rank 1 Sgt: Unit 24 Sqn. RAF SABENAi n service Date of Death 23/05/1940
Type: DC3
Serial number: OO-AUI
Operation:
Lost: 23/05/1940
Sergeant (Pilot) Raymond Chartier (Belgium), BAF (VR), servicenr 258/2226, initially buried at Arcques, exhumed and reinterred 5-9-1950 at Ixelles, Belgium.
Plt Off Benson Freeman - PoW
Captain John M.H. Hoare, British Overseas Airways Corporation, age unknown, 23/05/1940, Arques Churchyard, France
Aircraft was over Calais and it was hit by anti-aircraft and part of the left wing was torn off. The pilot (Raymond Chartier) made a forced landing near Arques. The navigator was killed and two of the passengers wounded, while Chartier was shot by German troops as he tried to reach French lines. The remaining passengers were taken prisoner including Plt Off Benson Freeman of 24 Squadron. The engineer, Piet Vrebos, survived the crash of OO-AUI. The German troops took him POW, but released him and sent him at home because he was a civilian.
Captain Hoare was the skipper of Armstrong Whitworth Ensign G-ADSZ ""Elysean"". This machine was straffed on the ground at Merville by Bf-109s earlier that day. So Hoare was a passenger on this aircraft to return to U.K.

Navigator/Pilot:
MOREAU Victor Pilot Rank: 1 Sgt 271 Sqn. RAF SABENA in Service V Date of Death "25/05/1940 "

I note all the inconsistences now.. two different Sqns and 2 diffferent dates and different name of Engineer! which may indicate the two losses have become mixed up OO-AUI (DC3) and OO-AGS (S.73)

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Paul,

Superb information, thank you very much. It is great to have more names of those on board. I wonder what were the circumstances of Victor Moreau's death if he died on the 25th.

I am more convinced than ever that most or all of the deaths and injuries took place when the S.73 'OO-AGS' crashed. I do not recall ever seeing a photo of this wreck however.

Regards and thanks again,

Martin.

[paulmcmillan]

I have dug out the following from AB Impressments file (baring in mind info now 50 years old)

ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH A.W.27 ENSIGN I
Twelve Ensigns were used by N.A.C. from September 1939 until June 1940. During the evacuation from France three Ensigns were lost : G-ADSZ ' Elysian ' was attacked by the Me 109s and destroyed by fire at Merville on 23.5.40. G-ADTA ' Euryalus ' was returning from Merville soon after the destruction of 'DSZ when it was fired on by German ground units. Two engines put out of action and the Ensign limped into Lympne and crash-landed. G-ADSX ' Ettrick ' was abandoned at Le Bourget A/P on June 1st after a severe air raid had rendered the airliner unserviceable.
Two Ensigns, G-ADST ' Elsinore ' and G-ADTB ' Echo ', were delivered to No. 24 Sqn. at Hendon from Birchan Newton on 11.5.40 and were attached to ' E ' Flight. They retained their civilian status and were returned to B.O.A.C. towards the end of 1940.

DOUGLAS DC-E (Dakota)
Two DC3s of Sabena, 00-AUH and 'AUI, escaped to the U.K. in May 1940 and were taken over by the RAF. There are conflicting stories concerning their fate and the offical Air Ministry one is, in our opinion, the least likely. They claim that both aircraft were returned to Sabena and during February 1942 they left the U.K. for the Belgian Congo, but something went wrong en-route and they were interned by the Vichy authorities.

Their more likely stories are detailed below.

2093 OO-AUH Nil 11.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No. 24 Sqn. on the 11th from Speke and used by "E" Flight. Returned to Sabena in June and flown to Algiers where it was interned on August 27th 1940 by Vichy France. Most likely taken over by the Germans in 1942 and flown by
Lufthasa in civil markings.

2098 00-AUI Nil 11.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No. 24 Sqn on the
11th from Speke and attached to "E" Flight. On the morning of May 23rd, OO-AUI was being loaded with food and ammunition at Croydon, in company with five Ensigns and two S.73s, for isolated troops at Merville,
France. The formation arrived safely at their destination, but during the unloading they were attacked by two Bf 109s; one Ensign was destroyed and the engines of one S.73 were made u/s by cannon shells. The remaining aircraft took-off and flew back towards the U.K., but were fired at by ground units en route and both the S.73 and OO-AUI were shot down near Calais.

SAVOIA-MARCHETTI S.73
The S.73 had accommodation for a crew of four and eighteen passengers. Of Italian design, it followed the current Continental trend towards three engines and monoplane wing. The first five delivered to the Belgian airline SABENA were Italian built, but in 1936/137 seven S.73's were built under licence in Belgium by S.A.B.C.A. for SABENA.
Seven managed to escape to the U.K. in May 1940 and were taken over by the RAF. OO-AGL, 'GO, 'GQ and 'CS were powered by three Gnome-et-Rhone K.9s, while OO-AGX. 'GY and 'G2 had been re-engined with Wrigbt
Cyclone GR.1820-G.2 motors.

30001 OO-AGL Nil 11.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No. 271 Sqn. on the 12th and returned to SABENA on the 31st. lnterned by the Vichy authorities in Algiers on 22.9.40 and not heard of again.

30005 OO-AGO Nil 11.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No, 271 Sqn. on the 12th and returned to SABENA on the 31st. Interned by the Vichy authorities while en route for the Congo on 22.9.40.

OO-AGQ Nil 11.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No. 271 Sqn, on tbe
12th and returned to SABENA on the 31st. OO-AGQ disappeared during the war and was probably interned by the Vichy authorities along with 'AGL

OO-AGS Nil 11.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No. 271 Sqn. on the 12th (May 1940) and was shot down near Calais, while flying back from Merville, on 23.5.40. (See under DC-3 for full story.)

OO-AGX NU 11.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No. 24 Sqn. from Speke the same day and attached to "E" E'lt. Went missing at 19.00 hrs. from France on 23.5.40 and was SOC on the 27th.

OO-AGY Nil 14.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No. 24 Sqn on the 15th and attached to "E" Flt. Went missing at 19.00 his. from France on 23.5.40 and was SOC on the 27th.

OO-AGZ NI1 11.5.40. S.A.B.E.N.A. Delivered to No. 24 Sqn from Speke that same day and attached to "E" Flt. Captured by the Germans at Merville, France, after being damaged by a strafing Bf 109 on 23.5.40.

I note that more inconsitences on this - Mentions 2 S.73 going to Merville but there are 4 losses (OO-AGS, OO-AGX, OO-AGY, OO-AGZ) on 23.5.40!

I would be interested to see what Colin Cummings book on Transport losses during WW2 has on this subject

[Pieter H]

I tend to support Martin in his theory that effectively only one aircraft was shot down at Arques/St Omer on the 23rd: the SM73 OO-AGS.
This also explains the conflicting info in different sources where the Belgian crew members are sometimes linked to the SM73 and sometimes to the DC3. Due to the confusion of the day aircraft identities got mixed, but only the SM73 seems a confirmed loss. The mix of 271 and 24 Sqn passengers and crew probably also did not help.

My interpretation is then that all the pictures at the beginning of this threat are then indeed of one single aircraft: the DC3 OO-AUI. This aircraft really looks to have stayed behind completely undamaged on an airfield. My guess is still Merville. Alternatively it made a proper emergency landing on another large and deserted airfield. There it was found by the Germans. What is then surprising is that it later was burned, whereas the Germans were pretty eager in using any flyworthy aircraft they captured in the Luftwaffe or Lufthansa. So an act of sabotage? The alternative of strafing by the RAF as suggested is of course also possible.

The last question is then how and why apparently so many aircraft were captured in Algiers. Further searching in Sabena sources reveals, however, that after many of the aircraft got returned to them by May 31, airline services were resumed in Africa. Main hubs were Oran and Algiers in the north, connecting to especially the Belgian colonies Congo and Ruanda. On June 25, when the Vichy-German armistice was signed, the Vichy government used the opportunity to confiscate all foreign/allied airliners on their territory, mainly at Algiers. That's how the DC3 OO-AUH and several SM73's ended up in Vichy hands and were then apparently given to Italy.
Furthermore, to clarify the confusion on how many SM73's participated on the 23rd:
http://aerobernie.ae.funpic.de/Sabena.html
lists only two SM73's lost on the 23rd of May: the AGS shot down and the AGZ abandoned. The AGX and AGY listed in Paul's overview as also lost that day were in fact amongst those captured at Algiers and ended up in Italian service. They were written of in November in Brindisi.

Regads, Pieter

[Martin Gleeson]

The article in 'AIR ENTHUSIAST', No. 13 explains the reason for the two other 'missing' S.73s on 23 May 1940.
Though supposed to return to Britain it appears the crews of OO-AGX and OO-AGY decided instead to fly to Marseilles-Marignane airfield in the south of France. Sabena had a station there to facilitate the air route to the Belgian colony of the Congo. Apparently 24 Squadron did not learn of this development for several days, hence the listing as 'missing'.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

[Chris Goss]

To add further to this, I obtained this photo on eBay and it appears different to the SABENA photo seen earlier-look at the engines and camouflage? I could be wrong though!

[Stig Jarlevik]

Guys

This one is tricky but very interesting. Now if we cannot locate an "unknown" DC-3 we simply have to look at the same aircraft. OO-AUI is thus a very likely candidate. However what I would like to know is why the Germans blow up the aircraft. I cannot vouch for the two photos Peter came up with saying "24 Sq 23.5.40", but the one I supplied show it with German soldiers and if the two Peter supplied were taken at the same time, they all show a pretty much intact aircraft, certainly not hit by AA-fire. But why blow up such a useful aircraft? From the photos supplied of the highly damaged airframe the whole nose-section is gone!

I must confess I still have a nagging worry we might look at two different aircraft....

Cheers
Stig

[Chris Goss]

Stig
Couldn't agree more. Peter C is on holiday for 10 days so I wonder what he will add to this on his return?
Chris

[Peter Cornwell]

Yes, I will probably 'stick my oar in' again but 40+ degrees in the south of France currently makes my return to the UK problematic to be honest.