Crashed Spitfire photo identification No.611 Sqd

[Spitfire 9]

Alex,
As I understand it, S/ldr Davies was not at any time Co of 611 ? Only flying with the sqdn.
also, that EP393 was ditched ?
Davies was also made a PoW on 23/8/43........

John Bevan was s/d near Bethune ..........

Have I seen a photo somewhere of a Spitfire with Paddy IV ? (The old memory is going these days and driving me crackers!!)

I have a full list of 611sq fatalities linked to individual Spitfires but, cant see as it would help here ?

Mervyn.

Afterthought edit: I could post the serials of 40 611sqdn a/c destroyed between 1941 and 1944 would you guys like to eliminate whatever you can and see what may be left ?

Mervyn.

[wise62]

hi,

This photo has been found several years ago into the WWII records of the town of Boulogne sur mer. A link was first made with another Paddy, Paddy III, a hurricane said by Flypast to have been flown by Kayne (profil published in a Flypast edition). Nothing has been found.
However, some months ago, an inhabitant of Samer, have said us that he has had the vision ,when he was a boy, during the war,of a crashed a/c with a dead pilot, an arm along the cockpit (as shown on the photo) . It was into a wood, close to Samer. Unfortunatly, since, this witness is dead and i have been unable to find the site without him. I specify that this man has never seen the photo of Paddy IV.

A pilot of the 611 squadron has his grave into Samer cemetery :
F/O P G Dexter (spitfire Mk Vb P8581),; He collided the 14 july 1941 with Sgt J W Panter (54 squadron) just above Samer, some local inhabitants still remember this collision during this particular day for us : 14 juillet, France national day. However, for FCL, Dexter has baled out...

Wise62

[Spitfire 9]

I find an interesting link with F/O. Victor Stephenson Neill RAFVR, who failed to return on 4th May 1943, while flying in Spitfire EN567.

He is thought to have been in collision and subsequently crashed. He has no known grave, commemorated at Runnymede Panel 132 Age 24.

He was also 611 squadron's longest serving pilot, being affectionately known by all as, 'PADDY'

Mervyn.

[Fairlop]

Question to Michal,

Can we be certain that Spitfire Mk IX's did not carry the roundel shown in the photo ?
If they did not then it only leaves either Bevan and Davies.

Alex,

1) The 611 Squadron used Mark IXs from July 1942 and there is only very small possibility some Sqn a/c had A1 roundel on the fuselage, valid till 21 May 1942. Of course there was a delay with application new roundels but about weeks not months. I know pictures of the 611 IXs made only a few days after Jubilee time too, and they were all with new C1 roundels which should be applicated from the first days of service.
2) The letter code on the right side of port side roundel is a "standard" shape for the Squadron on 1941 time. Like on the photograph.

Regards,
Michal

[wise62]

Originally Posted by Spitfire 9

I find an interesting link with F/O. Victor Stephenson Neill RAFVR, who failed to return on 4th May 1943, while flying in Spitfire EN567.

He is thought to have been in collision and subsequently crashed. He has no known grave, commemorated at Runnymede Panel 132 Age 24.

He was also 611 squadron's longest serving pilot, being affectionately known by all as, 'PADDY'

Mervyn.

Hi,

I think that it's impossible that the pilot of Paddy IV has not a known grave, somewhere in the CWGC cemeteries of Pas de Calais area.
He his one of the 611 squadron KIA pilots buried here, in France.
He is not MIA, as the photo shows.

Wise62

[Spitfire 9]

Originally Posted by wise62

Hi,

I think that it's impossible that the pilot of Paddy IV has not a known grave, somewhere in the CWGC cemeteries of Pas de Calais area.
He his one of the 611 squadron KIA pilots buried here, in France.
He is not MIA, as the photo shows.

Wise62

A very interesting point..............but......I was not definate in my opinion !! Hmmmmmm ?
Mervyn.

Mervyn

[wise62]

hi,

seven 611 squadron pilots, KIA, have their graves in Boulogne/St omer, France :

- Ralph Kenyon Crompton, F/o - KIA 02/06/1940 - N3064 - Etaples cemetery
- Martin Kean McHugh, sgt - KIA 03/07/1941 - R7293 - Longuenesse cemetery
- Peter Grenfell Dexter, F/o - sd 14/07/1941 - P8581 - Samer cemetery
- James Ronald Sutton - F/O - KIA 23/07/1941 - W3246 - St Pol cemetery
- Anthony Carey Hill - f/O- KIA 27/10/1941 - W3838 - Boulogne sur mer cemetery
- Robert Maxwell McClay Flt/sgt - KIA 14/03/1943 - BS510- Etaples cemetery
- John Curtis Bevan Flt/sgt - KIA 09/11/1943 - EE732 (Vc) Longuenesse cemetery - Bevan certainly crashed down at Colembert.

There are 4 F/O.

Wise62

[VoyTech]

The Spitfire in the photo features early style windscreen with external bullet proof glass panel. This excludes any Mk IXs. It also excludes EE732 and W3838 which, although Mk Vs, were built in batches of aircraft with late style windscreens. The Sky band around the fuselage excludes any aircraft before December 1940 (as was already mentioned here).

[rpeck350]

Is there any unknow graves in that area?Sorry not trying to be morbid but maybe he could not be Identified and buried as such.
It is just a thought.
Rick

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
From the Hut-six site there are 42 from 611 Sqdn who gave all.
BANKS, JR 811104 31/10/1939
BEVAN, JC 1314667 09/11/1943
BRUCE, AEA 740984 28/02/1940
CAREY-HILL, A 85938 27/10/1941
CLAXTON, JL 903471 07/05/1941
CLEAVER, RB 40889 19/06/1944
CLIFFORD, JT 52615 28/07/1944
CROMPTON, RK 90361 02/06/1940
CROOM-JOHNSON, OP 91109 30/05/1940
DALES, WP 955028 05/11/1941
DEXTER, PG 41680 14/07/1941
FRIDAY, AH 119493 30/08/1942
FULFORD, D 63787 02/11/1942
GIELSTRUP, JH 151006 23/08/1943
GOULDING, H 334035 25/07/1940
GRAINGER, WE 1164137 21/07/1941
HELMORE, PE 46704 29/11/1942
HEMINGWAY, L 742467 10/07/1941
JOHNSTON, RA 86369 09/07/1941
KING, LV 120930 16/09/1944
KRAUS, GW 1313571 02/11/1942
LAMB, EJ 88434 16/08/1941
LINDSAY, GR 117503 11/06/1943
LITTLE, TD 90364 02/06/1940
LOCK, ES 81642 03/08/1941
NEILL, VS 127166 04/05/1943
NORTH, J 139423 18/04/1943
PATTISON, KC 742457 13/10/1940
POLLARD, PSC 41462 22/06/1941
REEVES, JF 86670 21/10/1941
ROEPER-BOSCH, JWY 89295 21/10/1941
SADLER, HS 44825 05/02/1941
SHEPHERD, FER 811129 11/09/1940
SLATER, JH 33174 14/03/1943
SMITH, NJ 102563 21/10/1941
STANLEY, DA 83271 25/02/1941
SUTTON, JRG 90758 23/07/1941
THOMAS, DW 748448 18/05/1941
TOWNS, SW 1334105 06/04/1944
WALKER, PA 1261990 16/09/1942
WALTON, AJP 1385958 05/07/1942
WHEELER, VCM 566827 05/07/1942

Note that McHugh, Hill and McClay are not in the Hut -six list for 611 Sqn.

Alex