2 Spitfires shot down near Arnhem

[Andy_Ingham]

Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti

There is another mystery loss this day, F/L J Whittington of 127 Sqn was KIA and is reported as "having been shot down by Flak in Calais area" in Spitfire IX PT772 at 1135. Problem is that the last German defenders of Calais surrendered during the night, and that he is buried near Antwerp, Belgium, so he probably was shot down rather in this area than over France.

F/L Whittington is indeed buried at Antwerp.
His body was not recovered from the sea until a few weeks after his loss.
He is buried next to 2 men that were killed on the 25 & 26 October 1944.
F/L Whittington was killed on 2 October 1944.

The Form 541 does say Dive Bombing Gun Positions NEAR Calais.
The entry in the ORB Form 540 reads,
10 A/C were airborne at 1050 enroute to dive bomb gun positions in area D.94/GRJ.2, landing back at to base at 1210 hours. ...........1 a/c CAT AC the pilot F/Lt Whittington missing.

Andy