Mustang Losses 239 Sqd. 22-7-1943

[Brian Bines]

Seeking any details about the cause and location (Ypres area ?)of the loss of the Mustangs of F/O L.W Bennett 124384 and P/O G.F. Collis 133354 and if possible their full names, both became pows held in Stalag luft 3 Sagan . I gather the other two losses that day P/O Walter Anthony Damsell 133356 and F/O John Michael Vaughan 117305 were shot down over the Channel by Ofw. Heitmann of 8/JG26, both missing and their names on on the Runnymede memorial ,

Thanks
Brian Bines

[Leendert]

Brian,

Still same question marks here. I recall having posted about these losses on rafcommands almost 10 years ago....

See: http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/18860.php

Regards,

Leendert

[Leendert]

Brian,

Found on a Belgian website that Bennett in AM180 HB-P came down 2 km. S. of Adinkerke. This is practically on the border with France, near De Panne.
His machine was only 15% damaged and pilot tried to burn the plane, but onrushing German soldiers prevented this, it is said.

Regards,

Leendert

[Tom Semenza]

From The London Gazette:

1450095 Leonard William Bennett (124384) commissioned 20 May 42.

1312111 Gerald Fraser Collis (133354) commissioned 13 Sept. 42.

Cheers,
Tom

[Leendert]

Brian,

P/O Collis appears to have come down in the North Sea/Channel, floated for a day in his dinghy, drifted towards Dunkirk where he was picked up by the Germans on the 23rd.

The IWM has an interview with him. See http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80016879

Regards,

Leendert

[Brian Bines]

Tom and Leendert , thank you both very much for this information greatly appreciated,

Regards
Brian Bines

[SteveB]

Better late....etc

I am assuming that people will have followed the link to Leendert's old thread.

The 239Sqn ORB is not very helpful - I transcribed the Form 540 detail into the old thread. Form 541 lists Vaughan in AM239 and Bennett in AM180 "F/O Vaughan and F/O Bennett set course from Fairlop at 1235 hrs to take photographs of lock gates near Ypres. They crossed via Foulness and Ramsgate at 1252 hrs intending to cross the enemy coast near Middlekerk at 1310 hrs. After leaving Manston nothing further was heard and they did not return."

Form 541 does not record any details of the second section.

With regard to the confusion about serials Vaughan was flying AM239 and Bennett AM180. The two other a/c lost that day were AM238 and AP183.

In his PoW Q'aire Bennett gives his place of capture as Veurne in Belgium and, as Leendert has said, Collis records his place of capture as "Dunkirk on 23/7/43".

Steve

[Brian Bines]

Steve, thanks for the additional info, it would seem with the Collis report that there were three Mustanga down in the sea with Bennett coming down at Veurne . As far as I could see there were only the two Luftwaffe claims by Heitmann unless he damaged a third which appeared to get away but came down later. The Fairlop Airfield site speaks of a faint distress signal being heard at 1350 hrs some 30 miles east of Ramsgate, dut a search at dusk found nothing,

Regards
Brian Bines

[Leendert]

Brian,

Just a little addition on Bennett's Mustang. The Belgian website I got my info from also says that the machine was damaged only (due to the landing in the corn field?), but appeared not to have been hit by enemy fighters.
What still made him crash land, it doesn't say.

Regards,

Leendert

[Brian Bines]

Leendert,

Thanks for that, perhaps engine trouble I guess we will never know for sure,

Regards
Brian Bines