3 Sqn 12 Jan 41

[Chris Goss]

Fg Off A E Berry, Fg Off Weston and Sgt Fenton were involved in a combat off Fair Isle on this day-anyone have anything more on these 3 pilots?

[Frank Olynyk]

Chris,
Alec Edward Berry, NZ, 43023, KIA, August 19, 1942, Hurricane IIb AM286, DFC (LG #35502, Mar 24, 1942/S4 of Mar 27, pg 1382) Hurricane I R4077

R C Weston Hurricane I V7018

Fenton Hurricane I R4078

Nothing else on Weston or Fenton

Enjoy!

Frank.

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Frank. Did you have a reference for the combat report?

[Frank Olynyk]

Chris,
I never found a combat report. The only references I have are to the ORB and the Fighter Command Combats and Casualties report.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[Chris Goss]

Thought as much. ORB was very brief.

[Tom Semenza]

Chris,

R.C. Weston is possibly the Ralph C. Weston mentioned on the website below:

https://acesofww2.com/can/canadians.html

He is listed a with claims of 2-0-0 and there is a photo of him but no other details. I have yet to discover any claims for him.

Regards,
Tom

[Frank Olynyk]

Tom,
Aside from the Do 215 claim that Chris asked about (a probable) he also shared an He 111 dest on Jan 17, 1941, with P/O A E Berry (NZ), also at Fair Island. Again, no combat report, just the ORB and the Fighter Command Combats and Claims report.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone has decided to treat the probable as a confirmed destroyed, but without further evidence I cannot.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[JohnE]

Weston, Ralph Coulter RCAF C/1330.

Fenton, Walter Oswald 745092.

/John Engelsted

[Chris Goss]

Thanks John. He appears to have died 28 Jun 41. I thought maybe it was Sgt G H Fenton who was with 54 Sqn but then killed in March 1942

[Tom Semenza]

Chris,

I can confirm John's ID of Fenton, as he was posted out of 3 Sqn. on 22 March 41. The ORB gives his service number.

Frank,

Thank you for your comments on Weston. Both Combats & Casualties and Foreman's RAF Fighter Command Victory Claims had indicated that Berry alone was credited with the claims on Jan. 12 & 17. However, as you indicated, the ORB clearly states that the Jan. 12 claim was shared by Berry, Weston and Fenton, although the Do 215 seems to have been claimed as destroyed rather than as a probable. There is also a claim on Jan. 16 in the ORB, not mentioned in either of the above sources, for a Ju 88 probable shared by Berry and P/O P.A. Harris.

As for the claim for the He 111 on Jan. 17, there is an interesting twist in the Form 541. F/O Watson, rather than Weston, is listed as sharing this claim with Berry. However there is an asterisk after Watson's name with a hand written annotation at the bottom of the page as follows:

"*Sqn. manuscript diary says F/O Weston. There were both F/O R C Weston and (F/O) F.S. Watson - both Canadians on the Sqn."

The latter was Frederick Stanley Watson (C1372). The names of the pilots were not given in the Form 540.

Regards,
Tom