Death of Group Captain Yaxley, No. 117 Squadron, June 1943

[AndreasB]

Hi Chirs

I think the other way round would be better... Didn't want to interrupt your, err, local research...

Here's what I got thanks to udf_00 and the interweb:

W/Cdr. Yaxley (promoted to this temporary rank on 9 September 1941) had already earned an M.C. and a D.F.C. (gazetted on 17 October 1941, see this link and this link) at the time of the 25 November raid, and on 27 November was noted in the ORB to have been awarded the D.S.O. as well (gazetted on 12 December, see this link). He died about 2 years later, aged 31, as a Group Captain and C.O. of No. 117 Squadron, when shot down on a return flight to the Med, in a Hudson over the Bay of Biscay on 3 June 1943 (see this link).

Loss details (thanks to udf_00 from 12 o’clock high): Hudson FK386 No. 1 OADU 3 JUN 1943 flown by Group Captain Yaxley, shot down by a Ju 88 C flown by Lt Hans Olbrecht of 15./KG 40
Among those lost : BURTON Howard Frizelle 33227, HANBURY Osgood Villiers 81357. Other information from this Portuguese site indicates that this was a massacre of middle-ranking RAF officers, with the following killed:

F/O J. B. Bukley +
F/O E. J. McSherney +
F/Sgt D. V. Edwards +
G/Capt R. G. Yaxley (Pass) +
W/Com H. F. Burton (Pass) +
W/Com E. Paul (Pass) +
W/Com D. T. Cotton (Pass) +
S/Ldr O. V. Hanbury (Pass) +
S/Ldr J. K. Young (Pass) +
W/Com J. Goodhead (Pass) +

Does that about cover it?

All the best

Andreas

[Stig Jarlevik]

Andreas

Read your blog page with great pleasure! But either 272 Sq records seems a bit off or you have copied the details wrong.
On 16/11/1941 aircraft G is damaged when it hits a telegraph pole.
On 17/11/1941 said aircraft is suddenly O

Also on 25/111941 were 272 Sq really operating two aircraft C? Not unheard of I know, but then usually didn't the squadron try and differentiate the individuals with underlining one of the codes? And was 272 really that big in 1941 that they needed to double the codes?

Cheers
Stig

[AndreasB]

Thanks a lot for pointing out the errors Stig. Fat fingers in both cases. It was 'O' that was damaged, and the second 'C' was actually 'T'.

All the best

Andreas

[Stig Jarlevik]

No worries Andreas

You are doing well!

Cheers
Stig

[AndreasB]

Thanks for the compliment Stig!

All the best

Andreas