485 Squadron, Channel Dash, 12 February 1942

[keith A]

On this date 485 Squadron made a variety of claims. Sources indicate three, four or five kills, with one probable and possibly a damaged.

FL Compton claimed two kills, later reduced to one and one damaged. POs Sweetman and Clouston added another destroyed, FL Francis claimed another, (possibly reduced to a "probable") and PO Reg Grant got a fifth. A sixth claim was a "probable" by FSgt Jack Rae.

Does anyone have a definitive result or 485 Squadrons victory list?

Keith

[Alex Smart]

Hello Keith,

The following is from John Foreman's " RAF Fighter Command Victory Claims of WW2" , part 2, " 1 January 1941 - 30 June 1943".
Page 129.

485 Sqn Spit FC - 12 February, 1942

P/O. D.T.Clouston - Bf109F destroyed 5m W Ostend - 14.16.
Shared with
P/O. H.N.Sweetman.

F/Lt. W.V. Crawford-Compton - Bf109F - destroyed 5m W Ostend - 14.10.

F/Lt. W.V. Crawford-Compton - Bf109F - destroyed 5m W Ostend - 14.20.

F/Lt. G.H.Francis - Fw190 - destroyed - 5m W Ostend - 14.30.

P/O. R.J.C.Grant - Bf109F - destroyed - 5m W Ostend - 14.30.

Sgt. J.D.Rae - Bf109F - probably destroyed - - 5m W Ostend - 14.30.

"Aces High", by Christopher Shores & Clive Williams, has -

12 February 1942

Clouston
Nil.


Crawford-Compton
Bf109E - Damaged - Spit VB - W3747 - 5m W Ostend.
Bf109E - - " - " - ".

Francis
Nil.

Grant
Bf109F - Spit V - W3528 - - 5m W Ostend.

Rae
Bf109E - Probable - - 5m W Ostend .

Sweetman
1/2 Bf109F - Spit V - AB860 - - 5m W Ostend.

Hope the above is of some use to you.
Alex

[Smithy]

Some corrections and additions to Alex's information...

Crawford-Compton was flying W3774 (OU-R) not W3747
Francis was flying BL385 (OU-F)
Grant's W3528 was coded OU-C
Rae was flying AD114 (OU-G)
Sweetman's AB860 was coded OU-U

Even though they were probably all 109Fs it is worth mentioning that Crawford-Compton's and Rae's claims were for Emils not Friedrichs.

All of the "kills" were confirmed apart from Rae's which was classified probable.

[keith A]

Thanks chaps, Francis seems to be a bit of a puzzle. AH indicates he claimed a kill but that it may have been downgraded to a probable. The Fw190 dived away "smoking" which seems to indicate a bit of uncertainty. His DFC citation claims he had made three claims in the period 1941-42, although it seems perhaps only the one on 12 February was confirmed as destroyed officially.

[Stig Jarlevik]

To give Shores/Williams and their Aces High its fair status, it does not differ very much from Foreman.

Clouston in Aces High is a different Clouston from this chap with 485 Sq.
D.T. Clouston is not even listed in Those other Eagles.

Crawford-Compton is credited with one confirmed and one damaged

Francis never became an Ace, so he is listed by Shores in Those other Eagles!

Otherwise it all checks out.
Possibly C-C had one of his claims downgraded later as indicated by Keith?

I don't know why Shores/Williams suddenly list C-C aircraft as W3747 (a black out serial). He is flying W3774 both before and afterwards.

Smithy
Thanks for giving us a lot of new codes. Shores/Williams BTW give the more correct Bf 109 E where due.

Cheers
Stig

[Alex Smart]

Hello Smithy,
My copy of "Aces High" has on page 195, a/c serial number W3747.
He is also noted as flying in this a/c on the 26th March.
On the 28th March he is listed as using W3774.

In volume 2 on page 67 there is a correction . But this concerns the a/c he flew on the 13th October 1941. Spitfire VB P8786 has been corrected from previous P87886.

Stig,
Thanks for the confirmation of W3747 as being a ( black out ) serial number. I did not check that earlier as accepted what was in the book.

Alex

[Smithy]

Originally Posted by Alex Smart

Hello Smithy,
My copy of "Aces High" has on page 195, a/c serial number W3747.
He is also noted as flying in this a/c on the 26th March.
On the 28th March he is listed as using W3774.

In volume 2 on page 67 there is a correction . But this concerns the a/c he flew on the 13th October 1941. Spitfire VB P8786 has been corrected from previous P87886.

Stig,
Thanks for the confirmation of W3747 as being a ( black out ) serial number. I did not check that earlier as accepted what was in the book.

Alex

Hi Alex,

W3747 is incorrect. A Spitfire with this serial never existed. 15 ops were incorrectly attributed to this airframe with 485 but it was a simple case of the correct code (W3774) being incorrectly recorded.

W3774 (coded OU-R) was "Auckland I" and had this painted on the port side cowling with "Waiuku" underneath (Crawford-Compton was born in Invercargill but grew up in Waiuku). Underneath the port side windshield it had a cartoon of Hitler in a frying pan being roasted over a burning swastika. On the starboard side it also carried the name "Samson". Crawford-Compton scored 4 destroyed, 1 probable and 1 damaged whilst flying W3774.

Tim

[Alex Smart]

Thank you Tim for the extra interesting details, most welcome news.
Alex

[Kutscha]

W3774
Vb
1980
EA
M45
FF 20-8-41 9MU 22-8-41 485S 2-9-41 124S 3-5-42 FAAC 20-6-42 ros 306S 2-7-42 VASM 26-8-42 mods 308S 22-11-42 air collision with P8746 crashed Stockwell Potato Farm Yorks CE 14-5-43 FH394.15

[keith A]

I think Francis' claim was disallowed. All the other claims in that frame, by his flight and the other flight were for Bf109E/F. Francis is the only one to claim a Fw190. Just a thought.