1940 Hurricane loss photograph - France

[Alex Smart]

Hello Andy,
605 Squadron losses that may help.
25th April 1940
L2013 collided with N2358.
22nd May 1940
N2349 - F/O. Austin - Wounded.
L2058 - Sgt. Moffatt - Killed.
L2120 - F/O. Wright - Killed.
P3575 - P/O. Current - Returned.
23rd May 1940
L2121 - F/Lt. Leeson - POW.
26th May 1940
N2346 - P/O. Muirhead - Safe.
27th May 1940
L2119 - F/O. Forbes - POW.
P3423 - S/Ldr. Perry - Killed.
P3581 - F/O. Danielson - Killed.
31st May 1940
L2117 - Crashed UK.

Alex

[Andy Saunders]

My money is on L2121 or L2119.

The metal DH blades perhaps point to an 'L' series Hurricane, and assuming that the pilot was safe/POW is reasonable I think.

Perhaps Peter Cornwell or Larry Hickey might want to have a stab at it?

Whatever, the markings are interesting.

[Graham Boak]

See the following thread on Britmodeller
http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/i...c=234919965&hl=
This shows the aircraft of P/O W.J.Glowacki with the same tail marking.

[Alex Smart]

Hello Graham,

Thank you for the very interesting link, which contained photo's of the wounded Polish pilot standing before a wrecked Hurricane.

The marking shown on the aircraft's Fin is indeed very like that shown in Andy's post on this Forum.

But I would suggest that it is of the same Squadron but not the same Hurricane shown in both pictures.

My reason being that the picture on this Forum shows quite a large area of "ground" at the bottom of the artwork, while that on the other forum shows a very fine line of "ground" base to the artwork.

Andy also put his date as May ( I forget why) while the other was September.

Alex

[Buffnut453]

Hi Alex,

I don't think anybody's suggesting that they are the same aircraft. I certainly wasn't in my posts on Britmodeller. The pic of the 605 Sqn Hurri on the beach in France helped me ID the squadron and from there it was pretty easy to identify the pilot.

[ahafan]

Hello
thank you for this post and pictures;
im half german, and not every german was a nazi..and the luftwaffe were a nice guys.who treated our and polish pilots very well thu the whole war..the waffen ss .i heard helped many polish troops and airmen..UssR too..but the war in the east was differn't to the west..
but the SS- forget it..
.the picture looks like he was tired.. but the germans did photo other wounded pilots on capture...and survived the war..Polish too.
very nice but sad end to a brave pilot..

sharon..

[Andy Saunders]

The Bear & Ragged Staff emblem appeared on the fin flash of squadron aircraft of the period.

As Alex, Graham etc have pointed out this is not the same aircraft!

It would be good to know which incident is depicted in my photograph, although I rather suspect that solving it 100% is going to be a challenge.

Always good to see a 'new' photograph - and this one showing the squadron codes for this period, the individual aircraft letter repeated on the cowling and the squadron emblem on the tail.

All we need now is confirmation of pilot and aircraft.....!

[Many Souffan]

Hello.

Just few words to say the 263 Sqn. was reformed with a flight of 605 Sqn "County of Warwick.

The both Squadron kept the same Code HE ( of 605 sqn.)

When 263 Sqn. embarked with 261 sqn. for Norway it was with the Gladiators of 605 Sqn.

When 605 Sqn go down in 11 Group, it was painted on the fin of their Hurricanes the crest of the Unit: a bear supporting a ragged staff.

The idea came from S/L Mc Kellar DSO DFC & bar who was previously Flight Co. in this unit and after his S/L.

So the photo show a Hurricane HE.T of 605 Sqn. and was taken before november 40 time where the 605 Sqn. change their Hurricane I in Hurricane IIa

About Glowacki he was shot down in Hurricane HE.P P3832 by a pilot of 3./JG 51 Oblt. Michael Sonner. He died after an allergic reaction to anti tetanus injection.

Have a nice day.

Ps: A serie of photographs exist in BA or Ecpa showing Glowacki with I didnt remember well with Ihlefeld or Joppien...

[Graham Boak]

There is at least one picture of a 607 Sq Hurricane with its winged lion on the white of the fin flash. I wonder just how common this was with RAuxAF units, as there seems to be at least three examples (the well-known Airacobras being the third).

[brewerjerry]

Hi
I suppose this means the photo I have packed away of a HE coded hurricane needs to be rechecked,as it may not be 263 Sqn ...
cheers
Jerry