Seeking photos/info of 92 SQ Spitfires crashed & damaged during 23.5.40 combat over France

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

As part of the EOE Project, we've located several photos of two of the five 92 SQ Spitfires shot down or damaged over France on May 23, 1940. These two are the Spitfires of Bushell and Gillies. Two other Spitfires were shot down in France, Learmond and Klipsch, and one, Green, made it back to Hawkinge badly damaged where it made a forced-landing. Does anyone know if photos exist of the crash of Learmond on the beach at Cap Griz-Nez France? He apparently remains MIA, and his fate has not been determined. Klipsch apparently crashed vertically at Wierre-Effroy and was kiled. Do any contemporary photos exist of that crash site? And finally, do any photos exist of N3167 after Green force-landed it at Hawkinge with injuries and serious damage?

There is a good report of the circumstances of Roger Buschell being shot down and captured, but I'm not aware of any good account of Gillies experiences, during which he was shot down and captured. Does such an account exist?

I'm aware of the following sources, besides Franks, for accounts of 92 SQ actions that day:

'Smoke Trails in the Sky' by Anthony Bartley (William Kimber 1984) - Tony
Bartley's account,
'Fly For Your Life' by Larry Forrester (Frederick Muller 1956)- Stanford
Tuck's biography,
'The RAF in the World War Vol.2' by Capt Norman MacMillan (George Harrap
1944)- Roger Bushell's account.

Are we missing anything?

Thanx,

[Andy Saunders]

Larry

Peter Cornwell copied me in on his e-mail to you and I'll get around to looking at it in detail later tonight.

Meanwhile, has anyone identified this Spitfire wreck? I did wonder about it being Learmond's although if the story of Fg Off Peter Cazenove finding his pal Learmond in the cockpit of his burnt out Spitfire is accurate then this does not seem to fit.

[wise62]

Hello,

the spitfire into the sand has a M as part of his code letters, the site is the beach near Wissant.
Does anyone has a picture of P/O Gillies? I have located his crash site.

Wise62

[wise62]

Hi again,

about Pat Learmond :

in september 1987, l'association Maurice Choron dug up a spitfire MKI wreck, between Blériot Plage and Sangatte :
From witness , this a/c was shot down in the morning of may 1940 (23/24 may).

carbonised ashs has been found still into the wreckage.
No proof of identity of the pilot was found.
About the a/c, the engine plate was:
Merlin III/19131 N° 144503
On the side door of the fuselage which has been found, the trace of a letter code was seen : O - G or Q.

Unfortunatly, the engine number is not listed in the forms 78 kept by official records. So this pilot remains unknown.

Wise62

[Andy Saunders]

Originally Posted by wise62

Hello,

the spitfire into the sand has a M as part of his code letters, the site is the beach near Wissant.
Does anyone has a picture of P/O Gillies? I have located his crash site.

Wise62

Here is John Gillies.

Would be interested to hear from you about his crash site and to know more specifics about what may have been Learmond's crash site.

[Spitfire 9]

'Best of the Few'

Must be 'The' book on 92sq, much detail combined with many previously unpublished photos including the above of John Gillies.

Mervyn.

[Andy Saunders]

For the avoidance of doubt, the photo posted above is from the private album of the late Pat Learmond of 92 Squadron.

[Spitfire 9]

I am sure there is no doubt.

[wise62]

L'association Maurice Choron has stopped her activities several years ago. Perhaps some parts of the wreck are still displayed into Calais War Museum collections This museum was a partner for the association.
Thanks for the photo of P/O Gillies.

Wise62

[Andy Saunders]

And here is Learmond, not in the book mentioned by Mr Mervyn Aldridge, aka Spitfire 9. This is not in Michael Robinson's book and one which that author was unable to copy from elsewhere and re-use in "Best Of The Few".