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Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the German Luftwaffe and the Air Forces of its Allies. |
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#1
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Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
At 0215 GMT on 11 December 1942 a Harrow aircraft of 271 Squadron took off from Portreath en route to Gibraltar. Nothing more was heard from the aircraft, but during the following weeks two bodies washed ashore near Brest, and two more on the Cherbourg Peninsula.
Is there a record of any Luftwaffe activity during the early hours of 11 December which might have accounted for the Harrow's disappearance? Brian |
#2
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
Hello,
On 12 December, the Mustang Mk. Ia AG643, was shot down by 2 Me 109 and disappeared at sea to Batz Island. By cons I do not have the serial of this Harrow and names of airmen.
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Cordialement, Regards, Mit freundlichem Gruß, Dan Association Bretonne du Souvenir Aérien 39-45 |
#3
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
Thank you, Dan,
The Harrow was K7011, and carrying four crew plus 7 passengers: Crew S/Ldr (70089) Godfrey Allison Brown (33) RAFVR - Missing F/Lt (72991) Edward Thomson Halley RAFVR - Missing P/O (132123) Peter Marsh Burton (20) RAFVR - (Plouhinec Communal Cemetery) F/O 115669 Edwin Buckley Bowen (27) RAFVR (Buried Le Rozel Churchyard, Manche) Passengers P/O 132361 William Milton Henderson (24) RAFVR ( Cherbourg Old Cemetery, Manche, Normandy) Lt Andrew Jervis Hawkins (21) RN HMS Formidable (Lanildut Churchyard) F/O 118987 John Glen McCauley (30) RAFVR (NZ) - Missing Flt/Sgt 926796 Richard George Brett RAFVR - Missing Flt/Sgt 643049 John Brister (21) RAF - Missing LAC 936370 Philip Cashmore (22) RAFVR - Missing Major 136336 Harold John Palmer (48) 140 'Z' Battery, Royal Artillery - Missing. Brian Last edited by Roundway; 29th November 2017 at 20:38. Reason: CWGC has Henderson as F/O London Gazette has P/O |
#4
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
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I have some doubts about 936370 LAC Philip CASHMORE RAFVR being aboard No.271 Sqn Harrow K7011. I think it is more likely he was aboard the S.S. "Strathallan" which was torpedoed by U-562 on 21 December,1942. Possibly, the CWGC has mistakenly entered "271 Squadron RAF", in lieu of, "No.2771 Sqn RAF Regiment. Needs more research. Col. Last edited by Col Bruggy; 28th November 2017 at 03:21. |
#5
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
Thanks, Col, I simply copied out the list that has appeared several times in the past. The 271 ORB did not record the crew/passenger manifest, simply that the aircraft was missing. Although I knew it would be a long shot, it's the cause of the missing I was after, and wanted to rule out enemy action - which we seem to have done.
Brian |
#6
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
I would have thought that any route would have been to take them as far away from German aircraft as possible. Luftflotte 3 reports are very detailed that day with quite a bit of activity but absolutely no mention of anything like a Harrow
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#7
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
Yes, I agree Chris. I was just double-checking to make sure before writing a biography of one of the passengers. From the locations where bodies drifted ashore I guesstimated the loss probably occurred about an hour into the flight in the region of 49N 08W . I appreciate the dangers of attempting to work back from a body's landfall, but with two on the Brest peninsula, and two on the northern part of the Cherbourg peninsula, I felt that was a reasonable start point.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that the loss occurred during the very early part of the flight rather later. Brian |
#8
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
I wonder if the radio transcripts exist? Weather and loads of fuel on an old airframe......
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#9
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
Hello,
We just have this testimony. The leg and body of Hawkins were discovered on the beach of Port Blanc February 1, 1943 in Lanildut, Prigent Gourguen, farmer. (Lanildut death register). In prefect of Brest, Lanildut, February 1, 1942: I have the honor to make you known that we found at the coast of Lanildut the body very decomposed, having stayed at least a month at sea, a lieutenant English or American aviator. I warned the occupying authorities and made preparations for his burial, but the occupation troops prevented me, saying that they would take care of them themselves.
__________________
Cordialement, Regards, Mit freundlichem Gruß, Dan Association Bretonne du Souvenir Aérien 39-45 |
#10
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Re: Luftwaffe activity west of Brest 19 December 1942?
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