eBay: Allied intrest

[Alex Smart]

https://www.ebay.de/itm/314132959455...Bk9SR4rI2aThYA

G-ADSZ

Date: Thursday 23 May 1940
Type: Armstrong Whitworth AW.27 Ensign I
Operator: British Overseas Airways Corporation - BOAC
Registration: G-ADSZ
MSN: AW.1164
First flight: 1935
Crew: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Passengers: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Total: Fatalities: / Occupants:
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location: Merville Airport (HZB) ( France)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature: International Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport: ?
Destination airport: ?
Narrative:
Aircraft was on an international scheduled flight when over France, it was fired by German fighter. Crew diverted to Merville-Calonne Airport but on final approach, aircraft stalled and crashed in flames in a field. Occupant fate unknown.

Ref: aviation-safety.net

[Stig Jarlevik]

Alex

Some of what safety.net says cannot be correct.
I highly doubt it was a commercial flight from France to England.
Aircraft was part of a nine airliner aircraft formation being escorted by a composite squadron,
229/253, and five of these airliners were Ensigns.
All these aircraft must have been requisitioned by the RAF!

Don't know if G-ADSZ had been hit by Bf 109s before landing at Merville, but it certainly was strafed
after landing, with the result of it being DBF.

During the morning in question, Luftwaffe made only two claims which seems relevant to this fleet.
both being for twin-engined low wing aircraft and NW of Boulogne, which is in the right area at least.
I would say one of them was OO-AGS and the other possibly OO-AUI which returned to Merville.
It is of course entirely possible the two claims refer to one and the same aircraft!

Safety.net is the only source claiming the Ensign crashed upon landing which sounds a bit strange.
Especially since Pieter H says seven aircraft actually landed at Merville.

Anyone who can confirm either way?

Cheers
Stig

[edwest2]

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[edwest2]

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[edwest2]

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[stefaan]

Hi. Mossies are 60 sqdn SAAF.
Flown and photographed to send to the American pilots after a few were shot down by them, to help with identification.

[edwest2]

https://www.ebay.de/itm/155155146777...Bk9SR_qUs7fkYA