K.G.V Nightfighter combat losses 23/24 August 1943

[Matheson]

Originally Posted by Matheson

Hello Jim,

I had noted a discrepancy between Tony Woods take off time for Matheson and Bush and recently attempted to check whether this might have been a transcription error as I have given the time given on the 418 Squadron ORB. It appears that Tony Woods is no longer responding to queries regarding his database:-

Discrepancy between allied_1943_issue_I and ORB

Hello Howard --

Les passed your request on to me, but I'm afraid I can't help. Tony Woods got his data lists from the PRO. I can't guarantee that there were no transcription errors. Tony stopped responding to us 5-6 years ago. If you suspect the accuracy of the file, you'll have to go directly to the PRO, or whatever they call themselves these days. The file is quite likely on line by now, and downloading it won't require a trip to Kew.

Best regards, Don Caldwell

I note that one of my "suspects" was involved in another friendly fire incident in the same sort of area in 1944:

Identification: Friend or Foe: Death by Friendly Fire, Discovered Sixty-Two Years later.
By James MacLeod

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...%20%22&f=false

There is a suggestion here that 'Friendly Fire' incidents, inevitable as they were, were 'covered up' by the squadrons affected.

All very interesting

Thanks for your posting, regards, Howard

Actually the time I posted from the ORB is incorrect. The time in the ORB is 02:28 suggesting that the '2' was omitted in transcription by Tony Woods.