Aircraft to ID

[Dénes Bernád]

I saw on eBay a photo of an RAF(?) biplane, which reportedly crashed at Brest, in France, I could not identify:

http://www.foto4045.nl/vliewa_5.jpg

Any clues of the type?

[Andy Saunders]

Albacore?

[Bruce Dennis]

Definitely an Albacore. Is there a date on the original eBay link?

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo all,

Two photos of this aircraft appeared in the '4-14' posting of E-Bay photo links by Ed West (thanks Ed). I'm not good at providing links but the numbers are;
300216334184,
300216334964.

Incredibly one of them - no markings visible - sold for Euro 162.01 !!! The other clearly shows the letter 'A' behind the fuselage roundel. Of interest too is that the light underside colour has been hastily overpainted black. As no radar aerials are visible this may rule out the 1943-1944 period when Albacores were used over the Channel by the FAA and later 415 Sqn. RCAF and 119 Sqn. RAF.

It must have been a very frightening experience for the family in that farmhouse. Hope the crew and aircraft can be identified.

Martin Gleeson.

[Leendert]

Perhaps it has something to do with an entry I found on naval-history.net under Thursday 10 October 1940 that a Albacore of 829 Squadron was shot down on a a night raid on Brest.

Aircraft was of No 829 Squadron. Pilot Lt Cdr O.S. Stevinson (Squadron CO), Observer Lt. Cdr. N.R. Quill and Petty Officer A. Brimms became all POW.

FAA-knowledgeable people may have more about this?

Regards,

Leendert

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo all,

I think Leendert may have it. According to FLEET AIR ARM AIRCRAFT 1939 TO 1945 by Ray Sturtivant with Mike Burrow this crew were in Albacore L7129. The entry concerning its fate reads;

"FTR St. Eval from night attack on 7 destroyers lying in Brest harbour, hit by light flak, Cat W 9/10.10.40 (L/C OS Stevinson, Lt. N Quill & PO A Brimms all POW)"

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

[Leendert]

If it's the Albacore on the picture indeed, then it came down at/near the little town of Porspoder, northwest of Brest and on the coast.
Was hit by light flak.

Regards,

Leendert

[Gildas]

Hi all,

This Albacore did crash at Porspoder, some 25 km north west of Brest. I'm living quite close to that place, and took many accounts about it. According to those witnesses, and among them those people living at the nearest farms, at least one crew member was Canadian. Would somebody know which one ?
And could their first names be known ?
Leendert, where did you learn about the place ? My research had been in the opposite way, knowing the crash site, and trying to find the aircraft type, date, and crew, and before a first picture appeared by error on a book (Avel Gornog) on the Crozon peninsula. It's the fleet Air Arm web site that had a complete crew captured at a period that could match.
Thanks also Martin for your input, I ignored the serial number until today.
I've been forwarded the pictures, but wouldn't anybody have taken the contact of the seller and buyer of the pictures ?

Thanks in advance
Gildas