Seeking photos/info of 92 SQ Spitfires crashed & damaged during 23.5.40 combat over France

[wise62]

Robert
Thanks for this picture.

Wise62

[Andy Saunders]

Originally Posted by wise62

Hi,
as you have seen , on the picture , with the plate, there was a little part of cloth.
This picture has been taken after the dig and I wonder why another plate of another merlin would have been pictured as the plate of this particular engine. The crash was in a dumpy soil, very smooth, with no stones.. It was the beginning of archeology in the area. Only two spits had been found at this time : Piotr Laguna and Stephenson one's.. even a beginner, the group was able to keep proofs of it's finds.
The is a lot of forms which do not list the number of the engine. Bad luck for this case!


Wise62

Thank you Wise62!

I accept what you are saying and that this plate apparently originates from the crash site in question. It is extremely unfortunate that it does not help us to tie up any identification with Learmond or any other pilot.

On another matter, Wise62, I am compiling a detailed study of all RAF/Luftwaffe daylight losses from 1 Jan to 31 Dec 1941 and if you have local knowledge of any such losses in your area (date/type/pilot etc) then I would be very pleased to hear from you. Equally, would be pleased to receive any such information by pm or to sndz338@aol.com from any other forum contributor.

Would be happy to reciprocate with any information you might be seeking from UK sources.

[Andy Saunders]

I am still trying to resolve the mystery of this unknown airman.

I have struggled with the unreadable text on the French newspaper cutting, kindly posted by Wise62.

If I can make out the text correctly, then it seems there was evidence pointing to this crash having happened on 24 May 1940.

That being the case, there only seems to be one missing candidate; Plt Off Richard Dennis Aubert, 41361, of 74 Squadron lost on 24 May in N3243.

I appreciate this is all very vague and circumstantial, but the wreckage was evidently a Spitfire Mk I and the possibilities are limited.

I still favour the possibility that this may have been Plt Off Learmond of 92 Squadron, lost on 23 May 1940 since the location ties in with the apparently reported location of his crash.

Whoever the poor chap was, he was buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery on 28 July 1988, Plot 14, Row E, Grave 22 as an unknown airman.