16 Sqdn SAAF, Beaufighter Crash landing.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Seeking info on the fate of 16 Sqdn SAAF crew in crash landing at Polycastron of Beaufighter NE817.
many thanks
Alex

[niallc]

Alex

Alex
16 SAAF’s ORB and its various OpSums are a bit contradictory on losses for this day (6 a/c to attack marshalling yards at Polycastron), but there appear to be 2:
Aircraft “A”, Flt Lt Wickens (pilot) and P/O Pygram (Nav)
Aircraft “R”, Lt Snyman and Lt Ribbink
Both were attributed to flak.
Although in the CO’s monthly “Schedule of Ops” he says that the crew of “A” had “subsequently been repatriated via the British Military Mission” this clearly isn’t the case. It appears to be Snyman and Ribbink who made contact with the Partisans and were subsequently extracted, while Wickens and Pygram became PoW.
(Wickens is 47997 Arthur Stanley Wickins and Pygram is 151275 John Ronald Pygram.(both RAF))
The OpRep for the day gives no serial numbers, but an addendum to it issued in October (presumably after the return of Snyman and Ribbink to the unit) puts Lt WM Snyman and Lt R Ribbink in NE717/”R”. This serial is a bit unfortunate as, although NE717 was indeed SOC in the ME during September ’44, it’s also a very possible typo for NE817.
So: two losses, two possible serials (only one of them particularly robust), 2 crews and fates, but no obvious (to me) way of joining them up:-(
HTH
Niall

[Alex Smart]

Hello Niall,
Many thanks for the reply, it is most helpful.
NE717 is recorded as "Lost 19.9.44" in Air Britain's "NA100-NZ999" so I think it cannot be it.
Also "85 Years of SAAF" has (on page's 203 and 204) the following -
203
"NE817 - 16 - Hit by flak, belly-landed Polycastron - 10.09.44".
204
"NE817 - 10.09.44 - Lt. WM Snyman(s), Lt. R. Ribbink(s)".
and
" 10.09.44 - F/Lt. AS Wickson (missing) RAF, F/O. Pygram (missing) RAF". (Note spelling of name: Wickson Niall has him as Wickens Which is correct ? ).
RAF Commands website, POW lists has -
AS Wickens 47997 RAF - L2 - 8639
and
JR Pygram 151275 RAF - L1 - 5863

NE 717 is not listed in "85" as being a SAAF a/c, but in the "AB book" it has - "304 FTU/Med - Lost 19.9.44".
So looks like a/c "R" was NE817, and a/c "A" was as yet unknown ?

Further reading:
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...hlight=Wickens
Seems he was a Canadian in the RAF ?

Many thanks
Alex