Claim by 277 Sqn Lysander-crew 1942

[phasselgren]

Hi,

According to Tony Wood’s combat claims & casualties lists a Lysander crew of No.277 Sqn claimed a probable FW 190 off Shoreham on the 11th August 1942.
On the online collections of Combat reports (the National Archives) there are two names, W/O Peat and F/Sgt Wirdnam, but on the 12 th August.

Was it W/O Peat and F/Sgt Wirdnam that made the claim and what date is correct?

Thanks in advance
Peter

[Leendert]

Peter,

No luck (so far), but W/O Peat may be identified as W/O Norman W. Peat (RCAF), who later in the war flew with 283 Squadron in the Med, also in ASR duties. He's listed as missing on 27-5-1943.

Regards,

Leendert

[Frank Olynyk]

I have this claim as a FW-190 probable, at 0543 on Aug 12, 1942, 4-5 m off Selsey Bill, in Lysander IIIa V9545. Sources: Fighter Command Combats & Casualties, 20Aug; CR: Air 50/108-11&13.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[phasselgren]

Thanks for the information,

Frank,
A follow up questions: are crew names included in Fighter Command Combats & Casualties or is it just the squadron numbers.

Leendert,
If you find anything more on Peat and Wirdnam it is welcome.

Cheers,
Peter

[Frank Olynyk]

Peter,
FC3, as I code it, does not have crew names. Type claimed plus dest/prob/dam, time, and location (not necessarily as exact as in the combat report). And FC3 only covers operations by Fighter Command, 2nd TAF. And not Bomber Command.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[phasselgren]

Frank,

Bomber Command has documents with Combats & Casualties but also the Monthly Supplementary Narrative of Operations with following info:

date/Group/squadron/a/c identity (only letter)/position/time/height/type of E/A/short summary of combat/claim (destroyed, probable or damaged)

These inludes claims by 100 Group Mosquitos. Unfortunately the oldest document found at the National Archives is from January 1943.

Cheers,
Peter

[Leendert]

Peter,

Picture of W/O Peat and 277 Squadron colleagues here:
http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1p2...sources/54.htm

F/Sgt Wirdnam still somewhat elusive, but probably G.G. Wirdnam.

Regards,

Leendert

[phasselgren]

Thanks Leendert,

I just ordered a copy of Another Kind of Courage: Stories of the UK-based Walrus Air-Sea Rescue Squadrons by Norman Franks to learn more about the Air-Sea rescue units. Hopefully I will find something about Wirdnam.

Regards,
Peter

I don't know if this will be seen or not but I am the closest living relative of Flying Officer Norman Peat.

Very little is known about him within the family and I am trying hard to put together a file/memorial about him. I am extremely grateful for the link to a photo included earlier in the discussion of Norman.

The only information my family has is a newspaper clip written by his friend (Squadron Leader Lawrence Gardner) and it recalls in great detail the dogfight in the Lysander with 2 FW190's and how one was possibly shot down by the tail gunner. Also, Norman moved to Air Sea Rescue squadron 283 and piloted a Supermarine Walrus. He rescued downed Vickers anti submarine/Uboat bomber crews near the Galite Islands in North Africa. His Base was in Bone, Algiers. Unfortunately he disappeared without a trace along with his boat plane and crew 53 miles off the coast of Tunisia on May 27th 1943.

The only other information we have is a letter posthumously awarding Norman the Operational Wings of the RCAF which says his memorial is in Malta. If there is any supplementary information or photographs available on Flying Officer Norman Peat (RCAF), I would be forever grateful for it.

Thank you.