P/O J. Palmer - 485 (RNZAF) Sqdn - 29 Dec 1941

[Leendert]

Summary of Events of No. 485 (RNZAF) Sqdn for 29 Dec 1941 has that P/O J. Palmer was shot down over the Channel by German fighters. He was saved up by a British motor launch and put ashore.
No serial of his Spitfire given as the patrol of 3 Spitfires on 29 Dec 1941 not written in ORB of Dec 1941 itself.

In the Spitfire production list it says that on 27 Nov 1941 AB853 was damaged by Bf-109s and SOC 29 Nov 1941, although ORB says that day all a/c returned safe from an escort mission to Boulogne without encountering enemy a/c...

Was it AB853 after all and is the production list a month off?


Regards,
Leendert

[Stig Jarlevik]

Leendert

If by Spitfire production list you mean the site that has copied Morgan/Shacklady's book Spitfire the History, yes they have AB853 as cat E on ops 27 Nov 1941 and SOC 29 Nov 1941 while still being with Heston Aircraft Limited (No statement it went back to 485Sq again). Unfortunately the M/S book is very hard to read due to an incredible amount of short forms used.

Jim Halley in his book RAF aircraft AB100 - AZ999 gives this aircraft as lost 29 Nov 1941.

The problem then of course is that nothing can be shown as lost by 485 Sq on any of these days.

Foreman/Bock clearly follows your theory and lists AB853 as lost 29 Dec 1941 with Palmer bailing out. Without having seen the actual record card of the aircraft it seems fair to say that someone entered the wrong month in this case.

Cheers
Stig

[keith A]

I have in my notes from....years ago that Palemer claimed to have damaged a Ju88 but not sure if he did the damage, or suffered the damage.