F/Sgt.M.Smith 248 Squadron

[phasselgren]

Originally Posted by Bruce Lander

Hi,

Just reading "What A Bloody Arrival" by Martin Smith, he flew with 248 Sqd and claimed 3 victories. He does not appear in "Those Other Eagles" but his DFM citation does confirm his claims. The first 2 were HE.111's claimed while 248 had a detachment at Portreath between September and December 1941- unfortunately Smith does not give the dates.His 3rd was a Bv.138 ( of 2/Ku.Fl.Gr.406, K6+DK W.Nr310090 ) on 08 June 1942 over the N.Sea. Can anyone provide details of his first 2 claims - Dates etc.Luftwaffe units etc ? He also mentions a Sgt.Alan Welsh who claimed 2 victories during this period is there any info on this pilot?

I have the following claims for 248 during 1940 p to mid 1942:-

18.05.40 F/Lt.A.W.Pennington-Leigh Bf.110

P/O.E.H.McHardy Bf.110
(sadly these were both French aircraft shot down in error)
According to the A Clasp For the Few by Kennth G. Wynn McHardy and another pilot shot down a He 111 on the same sortie but this is not mentioned in any other book (see also the answers I received to my post “235 Sqn in action over Holland and Belgium May 1940” on this Forum)

28.09.40 P/O.C.C.Bennett Do.18 ( of 2/406)

03.11.40 P/O.E.H.McHardy He.111 Dam
According to Battle of Britain, the Forgotten Months by John Foreman this was shared with PO Garrad and PO Atkinson “attack and badly damage a He111H-3 of I/KG26” BUT according to Those Other Eagles by Christopher Shores the He 111 was probably destroyed and only McHardy made the claim.

09.05.41 Sgt Cripps Ju.88A-5 (VA+CP,II?KG.1 ,
W.Nr 2231)

30.10.41 Sgt.South & Sgt.Lee He.111 Prob

27.12.41 S/Ldr. D.L.Cartridge He.111

F/Lt.B.F.Rose He.111

22.02.42 P/O Graham He.111 Dam

02.04.42 F/Lt.B.F.Rose He.115

F/Sgt J.A,A,L.Boussa He.115, He.115 Dam

Sgt.G.P.Windsor He.111

08.06.42 F/Sgt.M.Smith Bv.138 (2/406 K6+DK 310090)

09.06.42 S/Ldr.R.E.Morewood Bv.138 (2/406 K6+?? 311109)
actually 30% Dam

I do have 3 more pages of 248 claims after this period but I will leave it there for now.

Can anyone add to or correct this listing.

Cheers

Bruce Lander

Hi Bruce,

A later answer because i have been away on holiday.

Some additions and comments (included above) with information from some books but unfortunately little based on first hand sources like ORBs or Combat reports.

13.05.40 P/O.E.H.McHardy (from New Zealand) E/A Dam shared with 3 other pilots (see Those Other Eagles and my post “235 Sqn in action over Holland and Belgium May 1940” on this Forum)

02.10.40 A.F. Fowler (from New Zealand) Do 215 Dam, Fowler was wounded and received a DFC for this action (see A Clasp For the Few by Kennth G. Wynn this is also mentioned in the Official History of New Zealanders in the RAF).

20.10.40 P/O G. M. Baird (from New Zealand) Do 215 was himself shot down and becam POW together with his crew (see A Clasp For the Few). I don´t know if this claim was officially recognized.

I will check 1941 and -42 tomorrow.

Cheers
Peter Hasselgren