Combat Claims 14 & 15 August 1940

[Observer1940]

Combat Claims 14 & 15 August 1940

Hello All
I'm really stuck with this combat! I can see there are some very serious researchers amongst you guys about combat claims during the Battle of Britain.

I'm told by an eyewitness there on the night [03.34 hrs], that they were led to believe that the operational Whitley had been hit by enemy fire beforehand, before coming down and one of the crew got off and died. When I looked at the names of the crew in The Times, the death of P/O R. B. Macgregor is separate and recorded on the ground due to enemy action.

Red flares were being fired SE of the Isle of Wight just before the time that they would have made landfall.

My Grandfather's death is due to Air Operations.

There is a Bomber Command Loss Card for all the crew and when I asked why there was no Loss Card for the other 4 Group crew, I was told that they were only completed when enemy action was suspected.

I have all the Bomber and Balloon Squadron, Group and Command ORBs and Appendices, including every Bomber Squadron and Appendices on Ops that night photocopied, which mentions the other returning aircraft with engine and intercom failure, which got back ok. Plus some Intelligence and other records.

Does someone have an RAF / enemy engagement please? My research is further complicated by the suggestion of it being a friendly engagement (see No 4 Group ORB extract), but the appendice is missing for this Whitley loss.

I have heard that some of these RAF combat claims have been scrutinised in great detail over the years and books written, but somebody must have seen a claim that does not quite tally up?

In AIR 14/363 there are monthly lists by Group of RAF bomber losses due to enemy action, but no losses due to enemy action for this RAF operation are recorded in the list.

The MoD are of little help, only that P/O R. B. MacGregor's loss was "FB" and the air crash was classed "AO" Category.

Thanks, Mark Hood
Grandson of the Air Observer