Unidentified 111 Squadron pilots April 1943

[keith A]

In this photograph there are twelve officers of 111 Squadron. Apart from one they are pilots and apart from Chris Le Roux (kneeling next to Barry Gale) they are members of B Flight. However the second and sixth from the left in the back row are unidentified, can anyone tell me who they are?

http://flyingforyourlife.com/pilots/...ight_11sqn.jpg

This is a remarkable group of fighter pilots because of those identified in the photograph all but one (Barry Gale) claimed at least two confirmed victories in WW2. Gale seems to have been unlucky or overly honest in his claims with at least three probables and four damaged in the period 1942-1943!

Robert "Jock" Kirkwood might be another for the TOE volume, he claimed one and one shared victory in Tunisia and a shared damaged (AH gives this a shared destroyed probably with Kirkwood) over Italy on 13 September 1943.

regards

Keith

[keith A]

Just to dot my "I"s and cross my "T"s I should state that the victory on 13 September 1943 has been mentioned as shared with Sgt Gray of 111 Squadron but neither of the Grays, Reg the Canadian or Jed the Englishman (?) are listed as having made a claim in the sources I have seen.

It could be that a shared "damaged " claim has been missed.

On a Nationalistic note mention of the word "Englishman" has curiously been omitted from the photograph - perhaps because with two Canadians, two Australians, a South African and a Scot the English are outnumbered?

regards

Keith

[keith A]

Wading through the excellent Mr Shores tomes I considered the missing pilots might be PO JAC Fowler, or Sgt KR Allen?

If so then Fowler seems very sure of himself!

regards

Keith

[Tom Semenza]

Keith,

Since there are no names showing on the link to the photo, I tried unsuccessfully to find it directly on the FFYL website. Under what heading can I locate the photo? There is no listing for 111 Sqn. RAF only 111 RCAF.

Thanks,
Tom

[JohnE]

Tom.

Look here: http://flyingforyourlife.com/pilots/ww2/g/gray_rs/

[Tom Semenza]

Thank you, John.

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Keith,

Could the man in the middle be H.R.P. 'Dick' Pertwee. The second from the left doesn't really look like 'Tony' Fowler, and he was a New Zealander.

On a related note, later this year or next year we'll be publishing an article about two of the No. 111 Squadron Australian pilots, Barry Gale and Harold D. Christian.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

[Russell]

Hi Keith

The damaged claim was as follows. The combat report is from memory in the squadron appendices. It will be in Chris Shores and co next volume.
13/09/1943 111 Sqn Sgt R.S. Gray Spitfire Vc EE750 ‘H’ ⅓ Do 217 Dam Naples 15.05
13/09/1943 111 Sqn Flg Off R. Kirkwood Spitfire IX MA326 ‘A’ ⅓ Do 217 Dam Naples 15.05
13/09/1943 111 Sqn Flg Off L. McIntosh Spitfire Vc EE810 ‘Z’ ⅓ Do 217 Dam 20m off Naples 15.05

Regards

Russell

[keith A]

Thanks chaps. Looking forward to Chris Shores new book

[Col Bruggy]

Originally Posted by Russell

Hi Keith

The damaged claim was as follows. The combat report is from memory in the squadron appendices. It will be in Chris Shores and co next volume.
13/09/1943 111 Sqn Sgt R.S. Gray Spitfire Vc EE750 ‘H’ ⅓ Do 217 Dam Naples 15.05
13/09/1943 111 Sqn Flg Off R. Kirkwood Spitfire IX MA326 ‘A’ ⅓ Do 217 Dam Naples 15.05
13/09/1943 111 Sqn Flg Off L. McIntosh Spitfire Vc EE810 ‘Z’ ⅓ Do 217 Dam 20m off Naples 15.05

Regards

Russell

G'day Russ,

Re: Kirkwood/Spitfire IX MA326 - could that be MA236?

Col.