148 Sqn Losses 15 Mar 41

[Chris Goss]

According to Don Caldwell, 7./JG 26 shot down a Wellington of the above Sqn off Gozo just after breakfast on the above date. However, I cannot confirm this-anyone got any thoughts?

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

From "Malta:The Hurricane Years"/Shores et al (p.167).

15-16.3.41

Reinforcement of the heavy bomber force in Egypt was still continuing during this period, and during the night of 14th/15th four Wellingtons from the Reserve Flight, Stradishall (Suffolk), and a Maryland, were despatched from England, approaching the Malta zone early in the morning. One Wellington (W5644) did not arrive; a radio message was intercepted which stated merely "being attacked", but nothing further was heard. The bomber had been caught a little to the North-West of Gozo by 7./JG 26 at 0750, and shot down by Oblt. Muncheberg; the crew were seen by him to be getting into a dinghy.

Col.

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Col. A bit of lateral research reveals the name Sgt John Geoffrey Crawford of the 3 Gp Training Flt as the pilot but CWGC has no unit listed and he is listed on the Runnymead as opposed to Malta Memorial. AHB doing some more digging for me which I will report back

[Chris Goss]

In addition to Crawford, Sgt R H Alington, Sgt H E Meason, Sgt C Gillespie, Plt Off R H P Blandy, Sgt K H A Vaughan and Gp Capt D d'H Humphreys. Unit is stated as 3 Gp RAF Stradishall, nothing on the crew positions or passengers

[Orwell1984]

This loss is listed in Gunby/Temple's Bomber Command losses in the Mediterranean with them having R H Alington RNZAF as the pilot.
Discussion here:
http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/10078.php

and some details here on Alington, who was a sergeant pilot:
http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-me.../record/C20326

Alington's brother was also a pilot during the war:
http://www.ww2irishaviation.com/hf450.htm

Geoffrey's brother Sgt Richard Hugh ALINGTON, NZ391335, RNZAF was killed in action in March 1941, when the Wellington bomber he was ferrying to Malta was shot down 70 miles from Gibralter.

There's a link in the following article to a PDF of a memoir by Geoffrey Alington and dictated to his daughter that mentions his brother's death http://www.ww2irishaviation.com/alingtonstory.pdf

I was recently stunned to discover that Hugh Alington’s death, in 1941, may have been related to the same flawed Wellington RDF compass. In letters home written immediately before his doomed flight to Malta, Hugh expressed concern that he was unable to check out his compass adequately prior to take-off because his navigator had been delayed and did not arrive on the base until the last minute. When Hugh’s aircraft was shot down by six German fighters, he was late — and, inexplicably, off-course. It is difficult to imagine why he would have been off-course if his compass had been operational. In our
interview in October 1994, Geoffrey provided information about a very strange -- even
uncanny -- coincidence. Hugh's Wellington was shot down without any prior notice at
all. He never even sent a signal — the plane simply disappeared. Subsequently -- and
here is the coincidence -- the pilot who shot down the Hugh's plane was captured and
made prisoner-of-war. Hugh’s identical twin Gilbert learned about this when he himself
was flying in the Malta area. The German pilot described the incident, and commented
on how curious it was that the plane did not respond in any way. He said "it seemed as if
the gunner was asleep." (Geoffrey thought maybe he was....)

Some of the details differ in the above account (number of fighters, radio message etc) but it makes for an interesting addition to the loss information previously posted.

[Chris Goss]

Thanks all and mystery all but solved. As to who shot it down, it was credited to Müncheberg and of those known pilots with 7./JG 26, none appear to have been captured over Malta or anywhere else for that matter