Ark Royal Swordfish collision October 1939

[alanscheckenbach]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your reply and clearing up what the ranks are.

Yes it was the same in the Luftwaffe, if an officer was aboard and a higher rank than the pilot, he would be the mission commander but the pilot retains command of the plane.

Cheers

Alan

[paulmcmillan]

As a postscript to this Pardoe (who was the pilot who looked around) and Lloyd (who the observer who fell 3000 feet) without a parachute and survived. Were killed together in another Swordfish incident on 24th April 1940 while with Ark Royal in Norway. I would expect all 4 surviving airman to be on my Irvin 1940 Parachute list (well 3 - technically Lloyd does not count) unless the story is only cullar accurate and that the parachute was not fully clipped on. But only Pardoe ad Lloyd mentioned though initials wrong.