Spitfire pilot's Lost

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

Seeking names of Spitfire pilot's lost in July 1940.

1st July 1940
R6640 of 5 OTU - ?

9th July 1940
K9853 of 19 Sdn - ?
L1075 of 54 Sdn - P/O A.C.Deere - safe
N3183 of 54 Sdn - P/O Evershed - KIA
R6637 of 609 Sdn - F/O Drummond - Hay - KIA
R6705 of 54 Sdn - P/O Garton - KIA

11th July 1940
L1093 of 54 Sdn - ?
L1069 of 609 Sdn - F/Lt P.H.Barran - Burned died later
L1095 0f 609 Sdn - P/O G.T.M.Mitchell - Body washed ashore later

13th July 1940
K9869 of 74 Sdn - ? ( but 3 FPP ) ? Ditched in the Hamble
R6807 of 610 Sdn - Sgt P.I.Watson- Parker ( but 263 Sdn ) - KIA
R6688 of 19 Sdn - Sgt Birch (Lt R.A. Birch FAA ? ) - KIA

15th July 1940
K9790 - 7 OTU - ?
K9980 - 152 Sdn - ?

18th July 1940
K9990 of 152 Sdn - ?
P9452 of 610 Sdn - P/O P. Litchfield - KIA
R6634 of 609 Sdn - F/Lt F. J. Howell - safe
R6636 of 609 Sdn - F/O A.R.Edge - safe

25th July 1940
P9382 of PRU - ? ( Not P9387 of 54 Sdn )

26th July 1940
K9815 of 609 Sdn - ?
N3167 of 92 Sdn - ?

Confirmation on some of the above details wanted and names of 10 pilots.

Thank you

Alex

[Mark Crame]

"26th July. Fg Off Newbury in K9815 on a trip to Warmwell found his engine doing all kinds of queer things and decided to force land. He did and made a good job of it, the aircraft subsequently catching fire!! Which was just what we wanted as the aircraft was an old patched up crock forced on to us to replace one of our losses."

Source - diary of F/Sgt 'Tich' Cloves.

Regards,

Mark

[Alex Smart]

Thank you Mark,

I just knew someone would answer one day.

Alex

[penguin832au]

92 SQUADRON, PEMBREY
Spitfire N3167. Crashed on landing at base on burst tyre after routine night patrol 1.30 a.m.
Sergeant S. M. Barraclough unhurt. Aircraft damaged but repairable.

610 SQUADRON, BIGGIN HILL
Spitfire P9452. Shot down by Hptmn. Tietzen of II/JG51 in combat over the Channel north of Calais 10.00 a. m.
Pilot Officer P. Litchfield missing. Aircraft DW-T lost.

609 SQUADRON, W ARMWELL
Spitfire R6634. Shot down by return fire from Ju 88 engaged five miles off Swanage 3.15 p.m.
Flight Lieutenant F. J. Howell baled out and rescued by RN Auxiliary vessel. Aircraft lost.

609 SQUADRON, W ARMWELL
Spitfire R6636. Glycol system damaged by return fire from Ju 88 engaged off Swanage 3.15 p. m. Forced-landed on Studland Beach and covered by sea at high tide.
Flying Officer A. R. Edge unhurt taken off by RN launch. Aircraft damaged but repairable.

610 SQUADRON, BIGGlN HILL
Spitfire R6807. Crashed at Skid House, Tatsfield during routine patrol 11;36 a. m. Cause not stated.
Sergeant P. I. Watson-Parker killed. Aircraft a write-off.

19 SQUADRON, DUXFORD
Spitfire R6688. Stalled attempting steep turn during dogfight practice. Crashed and burned out at Balsham 7.00 p.m.
Sergeant R. R. G. Birch killed. Aircraft a write-off.

609 SQUADRON, W ARMWELL
Spitfire L1095. Shot down by Obit. Dobislav of III/JG27 during combat over convoy off Portland 8.05 a.m.
Pilot Officer G. T. M. Mitchell missing (washed ashore near Newport, Isle of Wight). Aircraft lost.

Spitfire L1069. Severely damaged in combat with Bf 109s of III/JG27 over convoy off Portland 8.10 a. m. Abandoned five miles off Portland Bill whilst trying to reach coast.
Flight Lieutenant P. H. Barran baled out wounded and badly burned. Rescued from sea but died before reaching land. Aircraft lost.



I don't have FCL with me to check on others

Tony W

[Peter Cornwell]

K9853 of 19 Squadron was damaged in a taxying collision with K9799 at Duxford on 9 July 1940. Names of both pilots unfortunately not noted by me.

L1075 DW*N of 610 Squadron went missing 6 miles off Dover on 8 July 1940. Pilot Officer A. L. B. Raven missing believed killed, victim of return fire from Do17.

N3183 of 54 Squadron I have as Pilot Officer Deere’s aircraft, and L1093 as Pilot Officer Evershed’s both on 9 July 1940. The latter aircraft being ‘struck-off’ a week later on 16 July 1940.

R6688 of 19 Squadron lost on 13 July 1940 was flown by Sergeant R. R. G. Birch and not Lieutenant R. A. Birch FAA.

K9990 of 152 Squadron was reported Category 3 on 31 July 1940, a date I have later amended to 18 July 1940. Pilot Officers I. N. Bayles & C. Warren both returned with damage on the latter date, one of them in P9440. I suspect that the unit may have taken the opportunity to write-off the older airframe after attempting repairs?

According to my notes, extracted from the serial cards back in the 1970s, P9382 of 54 Squadron was reported Category 3 on 25 July 1940 but later ‘struck-off’ on 31 October 1940 while allocated to PRU Heston.

[Alex Smart]

Hello Mark, Peter & Tony,

Many thanks for replies.

Worth waiting for.

Thank you all.

Alex

[penguin832au]

Seems the serials are now mostly covered
I just have some comments for Peter.
I also collected much info on my visits to the UK between '64 & '73
There was just so much material, and I had to concentrate on that which related to Australia & New Zealand, most was hand copied, so errors creep in. That said:
Re P9382
I have 27MU -> 1 PRU Benson -> Farnborough for high altitude and fuel system trials and, presumably, returned to 1 PRU with Cat E damage on ops 25.7.40 & SOC 31.10.40 with 113 Airframe Hours - no mention of 54 Sqdn
However
P9387 I have 54 Sqdn s/d by Bf109 nr Dover Pilot Turley-George safe.
(s/d here prob means force landed or similar as the aircraft was repaired and continued in service until a Cat B Flying Acc with 53 OTU, recat E and SOC 20.5.42)

The aircraft flown by Bayles of 152 Sqdn and damaged on 18.7.40. This aircraft returned to base and was repaired whereas K9990 was with 52 Sqdn and was unfortunatelly hit by AA fire from a British convoy and was abandoned off the Isle of Wight on 17.7.40
I have looked at this many times and have not been able to come up with a satisfactory answer to the aircraft flown by Bayles.

Q and A's on forums like this often help us to solve problems, sometimes we end up with more questions than answers !!

Cheers,
Tony W

[paulmcmillan]

R6637 Patrol, Shot down by Bf109 of Portland. F/O P DRUMMOND-HAY killed 9.7.40 - He is down on CWG as F/O Peter HAY-DRUMMOND-HAY

R6705 54.Sqn, Scramble (18:55), Shot down by Bf109 near Manston 9.7.40, P/O JW GARTON killed

L1093 54.Sqn, Scramble (18:55), Shot down in combat with Bf109 off Dover 9.7.40, P/O A EVERSHED killed

N3183 54.Sqn, Scramble, collided with Bf109, crashed in forcelanding near Manston, a/c destroyed 9.7.40, P/O AC DEERE safe

K9790 Crashlanded at Hawkinge 15.7.40, declared Cat.E on 22.7.40 (SOC)

K9869 Engine cut off on take-off for ferry flight by 3 FPP, ditched off Hamble 13.7.40

[Alex Smart]

Thanks everyone,

The list is shorter now

1st July 1940
R6640 of 5 OTU ? Pilot ?

13th July 1940
K9869 of 74 Sqn / 3 FPP (?) Pilot ?

15th July 1940
K9790 of 7 OTU ? Pilot ?
K9980 of 152 Sqn ? Pilot ?

Thanks

Alex

[54-KL-B]

I've just joined the Forum which I found when doing a Google search on P/O Evershed.

I know it's a very old thread but I'm putting together a local display to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

Evershed is not officially recognised as a Battle of Britain pilot (due to the fact that he was killed 1 day before the 'official' start of the battle.) My interest comes from the fact that he is a local casualty from our area (South Derbyshire / East Staffordshire) and I have done some research on him.

If anyone is interested in furthering the discussion or has additional info I'd be happy to share what I know.