Swordfish loss 1940

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

Seeking details of serial number and crew names of a Swordfish "H3H" of 814 Sqn FAA from HMS Hermes. A/c crashed ashore during a dummy attack on Freetown defense's. Date was 16/05/1940.

Many thanks
Alex

[Leendert]

Alex, Naval History Net has Leading Airman Sidney Bax missing due to an air crash from HMS Hermes on 16 May 1940. Regards,Leendert

[Martin Gleeson]

Alex,

The date of death is definitely May 16th , 1940 according to his RN personnel casualty file (ADM 358/89). A small file of only 10 pages and very little detail, not even his squadron is mentioned. Just that he was killed in an aircraft accident at sea and that his body was not recovered. He was operating from HMS Hermes. No reference to his aircraft, the circumstances of his loss or his fellow crewman (LA S.G. Bax).

Hope this little helps.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

PS. I would very much myself like to learn anything more concerning the accident.

Apologies Alex. I posted the above to the wrong query !

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Thank you all for your replies.
What I have is the following .
16/05/1940
814 Sqn, HMS Hermes
Swordfish - "H3G"
Hit sea during a dummy attack on HMS Hermes, position given as 08°,31" N by 13°,37" W.
Crew: Liversidge and Bax. both killed.
AND
814 Sqn HMS Hermes
Swordfish "H3H" - (my thinking is that this a/c was possibly L9723 ?).
Crashed on shore in a dummy attack on Freetown defenses.
Marriott RAF attached (c/16471442) Indian Ocean.
Also as Freetown is on the Atlantic Coast I wonder about the reference to "Indian Ocean" in C/16471442 ?
But cannot understand how Naval-History.net got Liversidge date as 14th.

Extra: the "Y" file of the late Henk has Marriott as crew with Liversidge and Bax, Y0085 ?
Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello Martin, I have sent you a PM.