Loss of Dornier at Falmouth 10 Oct 1940

[Alex Smart]

Hello Phil,
My thoughts are troubled with your question.

Some years ago I started to put together a story of the air war over Falmouth. Other things happened.

The following may be of some use to you however.
1940
August
8th - Falmouth area - Ju88 Probable shared by three pilots of 234 Sqn.
F/Lt. A.S.Harker, F/Lt. E.B. Mortimer-Rose and one other.(Forman has P/O R.Hardy and Sgt. J. Szlagowski).
September
23rd - He111 TG+KA by Blenheim "K" of 236 Sqn, some 270 miles from Lands End.
Wng/Cdr A.R.D. Innes.
25th - Do17 damaged by a 601 Sqn Hurricane serial R4218, Plymouth area.
P/O. H.C. Mayers.
25th - Ju88 by a 601 Sqn Hurricane serial V6649 some 20 miles south of Plymouth. F/O. T. Grier.
25th - Bf110 probable by Hurricane P3675 "S" again of 601 Sqn, pilot F/Lt. M.L. Robinson.
October
9th - Ju88 probable, South of Falmouth.Shared by 234 Sqn pilots P/O. E.W. Wootten and F/Lt. E.B. Mortimer-Rose in Spitfires.
26th - Ju88 probable again Mortimer-Rose "off Lands End" .
28th - Ju88 by Sgt. M.C.B. Boddington some 20 miles South of the Lizard 234 Sqn Spitfire "4346"(?).
November
2nd - He111 damaged by 234 sqn Spitfire some 20 miles South of the Lizard by Sgt. Boddington.
24th - Do17z shared by 234 sqn pilots Mortimer-Rose and S/L. M.V. Blake.
was actually a Do215 "VB+KR", in sea off Kynance Cove.
25th - Ju88 South of Lands End by P/O. Wootten 234 Sqn.
29th - Ju88 damaged some 20 miles south of the Lizard by 234 sqn pilot Boddington in Spitfire "4685".
( Forman has also a Do17 destroyed 30 miles south of the Lizard by S/L. Blake and a Ju88 destroyed by F/O. G.L. Ritcher 20 miles south of the Lizard ).
December
5th - Do17 again by Boddington some 4 miles south of St. Austell.( Forman has SW of Dodman Point ).
19th - Do17 By Wootten some 10 miles South of Rame Head.
20th - Do17 of 3(F)/31. damaged 40%, shared by Mortimer-Rose and Blake 12 or so miles south of Lands End.
25th - Ju88 of 4(F)/121 by Mortimer-Rose near Falmouth.

Others were recorded in 41.

But to return to the 10th October. My thoughts are that perhaps there was an own goal ?
Forman's "Victory Claims" vol 1 has the following claims for the 10th October 40.
92 Sqn - Do17 shared - probably destroyed East of Brighton 0800 hrs.
213 Sqn - Do17 damaged 10miles north-east of Tangmere 1405 hrs.
238 Sqn - Bf109 and a Bf110 both damaged over sea South of Warmwell 1230 hrs.
603 Sqn - Bf109 over the Channel 1030 hrs.
603 Sqn - Bf109 destroyed Dunkirk beach 1100 hrs.
603 Sqn - Bf109 damaged over French coast 1100 hrs.

A Bomber Command Wellington, P9273 of 149 Sqn was lost without trace.
A Coastal Command Blenheim, N3530 of 235 Sqn was shot down at 17.30 hrs over the Channel. in both cases the crews were all killed.
Perhaps one of these was lost on the return flight and was misidentified and intercepted ?

Alex