Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Allied and Soviet Air Forces

Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #7  
Old 11th October 2017, 22:27
Allan125 Allan125 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Cornwall/UK
Posts: 250
Allan125 is on a distinguished road
Re: Spitfire shot down in Alderney

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Semenza View Post
59 Sqn. was never equipped with Spitfires. It used Hudsons and then Liberators and Fortresses.

P7904 was indeed with 130 Sqn. Shot down on 21 Aug. 41. Its pilot P/O Henry Webster Pickstone (67064) became a POW.

Tom
However Tom, this is not P7904 as that crashed at sea, which this plainly didn't:

On 21st August 1941 6 Blenheims of 107 and 6 of 114 Squadron were sent out to bomb the Hoogovens (iron foundry) north of Ijmuiden, The Netherlands. The Blenheims were escorted by 10 Spitfires of 66 Squadron, 8 of 130 (Punjab) Squadron and 8 of 152 Squadron.

The first wave (107 Sqdn) took off at 07.00 hrs from Great Massingham, Norfolk and attacked the target at 09.18 hrs local time. The bombs were dropped from 50 ft and were reported to hit the rolled steel plant at the north side of the target, as well as the cooling tower. Other bombs fell near one of the blast furnaces.

The second wave (114 Sqdn) took off at 07.10 hrs from West Raynham, Norfolk and attacked the target 2 minutes later at 09.20 hrs local time. The bombs were dropped from 50 ft and fell between a row of chimneys in the middle of the complex which caused a lot of smoke.

After the attack the Blenheims attacked barracks in the dunes south of the harbour entrance. Hoogovens reported 23 bombs and several incendiaries on the complex from which a number failed to explode. The Central Engineering shed received a direct hit which damaged several machines. At the saltpetre works the ammonia gasometer and a steel tower were damaged. Also an office and a ship in the harbour were damaged and there were several casualties amongst the civilian labourers. Several German soldiers were killed too, amongst whom an important architect whose body was brought back to Germany. During the attack at the barracks several Germans from the cavalry were killed. The Blenheims of P/O Robinson and Sgt Anderson from 107 Squadron were damaged, and the Blenheims of the second wave reported many Bf.109’s.

The escorting Spitfires joined the formation at 07.20 hrs local time. The 8 Spitfires of 130 Squadron were bounced on the way back by a couple of Messerschmitt’s. 20 year old P/O William Roy Bloyce 67053 RAF VR in P8370 was shot down into the North Sea at 09.25 hrs local time at 30 ft altitude by Gefr. Schumacher, 1.E./JG3, 15-20 kilometres West of Ijmuiden. It was his first victory. The Spitfire was a so called presentation aircraft and was nicknamed ‘Oldham’. The radio letter is not known. The body of P/O Bloyce has no known grave and his name is engraved in panel 21 of the Runnymede memorial.

"The Spitfire of P/O Henry Webster Pickstone was hit by Flak at 09.20 hrs local time. His Spitfire crashed into the North Sea, South of the harbour entrance. He managed to bail out and was slightly wounded picked up by the rescue boat (Flugsicherungsboot) FB-308, which had sailed off at 09.50 hrs local time. P/O Pickstone was brought to the harbour doctor and after having been treated for his wounds picked up at 13.50 hrs by the Luftgau Holland (German regional command) and brought to airfield Bergen, home base of the unit 1.E./JG3. P/O Pickstone was initially held in a hospital in Amsterdam, then eventually sent to Stalag Luft III, via Dulag Luft at Frankfurt, Oflag XC in Lubeck and Oflag XXIB at Schubin. In a 1992 letter to a friend he advises that whilst at Stalag Luft III, as a pre-war architectural student, he had the job of designing a stone memorial with a wooden cross, and a wooden fence around the whole thing. It is very likely that the ashes from the fifty who were shot in “The Great Escape” were put in the same area. Not only did he design the thing, but got to help make it, and then went out on parole to install it.

Raid information kindly supplied by Hans Nauta, and personal information and photo (of Henry Webster Pickstone) kindly supplied by David Pickstone, and of course Ijmuiden is not anywhere near to Alderney!

And for Kaiyan - I would respectfully suggest you change the titles of your photos - which I also have copies of, although this one is new to me. Unfortunately I do not go back that far with the 130 (Punjab) Squadron ORB to see if the Form 541 contains any details

Allan
__________________
Allan Hillman

Last edited by Allan125; 11th October 2017 at 23:10. Reason: additional piece for Kaiyan
Reply With Quote
 

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
23rd December 1944 - raid on Koln/Cologne - VC for plane shot down Cofian Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 13 21st January 2019 18:52
Identity of Shot Down Spitfire kaki3152 Allied and Soviet Air Forces 3 13th April 2014 22:00
Most One Sided Luftwaffe Victory over the 8th Air Force Rob Romero Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 22 18th August 2010 23:55
Spitfire shot down LeMans June 1944 patfowler Allied and Soviet Air Forces 4 7th March 2007 21:44
56th FG - friendly fire case on 4 May 1943 - info needed Lagarto Allied and Soviet Air Forces 28 13th March 2005 00:33


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 17:52.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net