9 Sept 44 - 455 Sqdn Dutch Coast

[andy bird]

Before I shell out for the NA Kew 455 ORB for this date,

Does anyone have the name of the convoy and composition found off the Dutch coast near Heligoland Blight ?

Interested in the last sortie flown from Langham when Stanley and Dempsey got hit by flak (from ship?) and lost an engine.

Writing about Phil Davenports rescue of Stanley from burning aircraft.

Best Wishes

Andy Bird

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

You can access the 455 Squadron RAAF ORB, here:

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetri...aspx?B=1359207

June 1941-May 1945 (937 pp.)

See also:

Jack Davenport - Beaufighter Leader.
Alexander,Kirsten.
Crows Nest:Allen & Unwin,2009
pp.154-8

and...

Strike And Strike Again 455 Squadron RAAF 1944-45.
Gordon,Ian.
Belconnen:Banner Books,1995.

I believe there is a new edition of the above title.

Col.

[andy bird]

Hi Col Bruggy,

Cheers for the info. Sadly, two conflicting reports that don't match Davenports book "port motor failed" and Strike & Strike Again 'a/c hit by flak'

Kristen has given all her research to a museum, and the Davenports can shed no further light as they've got their own deadline for a second book on Phil Davenport whom I knew briefly.

Yes, Ian Gordon is in the throes of a second edition, will send info to him later this week.

Have a good week,

Andy B.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by andy bird

Before I shell out for the NA Kew 455 ORB for this date,

Does anyone have the name of the convoy and composition found off the Dutch coast near Heligoland Blight ?

Andy Bird

You might find it in the naval ULTRAs which are viewable/downloadable free. As far as I know you'd need the ZTPG series of messages and the files covering 9 Sept would be DEFE3/457 and 458 (unless relevant messages were decrypted after some delay). The odds are though that if they were attacked from the air they would have sent a report. The attached is the first signal in DEFE3/458, for example (and, no, I haven't read the rest!).

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

The second edition of "Strike And Strike Again", is already available, albeit "Print on Demand"!

http://www.alexanderfaxbooks.com.au/...n-raaf-1944-45

Col.

[udf_00]

Casualty File :
STANLEY, William Mitchell - ((Flying Officer); Service Number - 422737; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Beaufighter NT892; Place - Langham, England; Date - 9 September 1944
[not digitized, not available during the relocation of the records : 30 October 2016 to 1 July 2017].
Pic
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P00741.003
There are near 300 pics about 455 Sqn.
ORB extract from page 730 :