F/L Wilfred Patrick (Paddy) Francis Treacy (37617) - When exactly was he shot down in 1940

[paulmcmillan]

F/L Wilfred Patrick (Paddy) Francis Treacy (37617) was shot down a 2 or 3 times in May 1940 and was captured by the Germans and later escaped via the Pat O'Leary escape line via Spain.. However, I am not quiet sure on what aircraft and dates this all happened..

I have Treacy 'lost on'

24th May 1940 - Spitfire P9441 -- Returned to UK by Boat
27th May 1940 - Spitfire K9875
31th May 1940 - Spitfire K9992

He was later killed as a Sqn/Ldr on 20th April 1941 while commanding 242 Sqn, He was lost on Hurricane Z2887 in 3 way collision with F/O Hugh Ian Lang on Z2634 and F/O Norman Douglas Edmond on Z2632

However, I believe the last incident 31st May 1940 is completely wrong and he was captured as a result of the incident of 27th May 1940, the issue being was he on K9875 or K9992 on this date ?

Alternatively he could have been on K9992 on 24th May 1940

Anyway I have 3 Spitfires of 74 Sqn all lost late May 1940 over Dunkirk and it is possible Treacy was on 2 of them, but which ones, which date and who was on the 3rd one?

Thanks

Paul

[Peter Cornwell]

Paul,

I am fairly well satisfied that TREACY was only shot down twice during the Dunkirk fighting. The first time on May 24, 1940, when he baled out and, as you say, returned to England by sea, and again on May 27, when he was taken prisoner. The May 31 date is most unlikely as No.74 Squadron were withdrawn to Leconfield four days earlier.

My notes extracted from the Squadron ORB (AIR 27/640) at NA(PRO) give K9992 as the aircraft he abandoned on May 24 and K9875 that lost on May 27, 1940, but I am only too well aware that the former is at odds with Halley’s work on RAF Serials. So I will be interested if someone can provide specific details on the loss of P9441 which I believe was the aircraft crash-landed by ‘Paddy’ BYRNE near St Omer on May 23.

[Ex Shack]

Hi Paul
From Battle of France -Then and Now, P Cornwell. On 24/5/40 Treacy is reported as baling out of K6992, S of Dunkirk. On 27/5/40 He is reported as belly landing K9875 nr Gravelines,and as captured-escaped-re captured and "later that year" escaping and getting back to UK via Spain and Eire. The only ref I have to P9441 is in AB Serials where it says missing 24/5/40, this is not mentioned in Peter Cornwell's book.
Regards
Dick

[Alex Smart]

Hi,
From "Spitfire the History" by Morgan & Shacklady.

K9875
93 FF GP 23-2-39 74S 27-2 FTR Dunk 27-5-40.

K9992
206 MIII FF 24-5-39 74S 28-9 s/d Dunk 31-5-40.

P9441
604 FF 1-4-40 6MU 5-4 74S 12-5 s/d over e/tr 24-5-40.

"The K File" by Halley has -

K9875
Del to 74 Sqn 27.2.39 Missing over Dunkerque 27.5.40

K9992
Del to 6MU 31.5.39 74Sqn 28.9.39 Shot down over Dunkerque 31.5.40.

"Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000 - R9999"

P9441
74 Missing 24.5.40.

"FCL"vol 1 revised

24 May 1940
74 Sqn Spitfire I P9441 P/O R D Aubert +

74 Sqn Spitfire I K9992 F/L W P F Treacy safe - Patrol. Shot down and returned by ship.

27 May 1940
74 Sqn Spitfire I K9875 F/L W P C Treacy Evaded - Patrol. Lost in combat and evaded via Spain.


Alex

[paulmcmillan]

Thanks Guys

Had a chance to look in BoFTaN last night (thanks Peter!) 74 Sqn losses for the days and serials in question...

21 May 1940
74 Sqn Spitfire I K9577 P/O R D Aubert - Ok

23 May 1940
74 Sqn Spitfire I P9441 F/O Vincent George Lowther Davey ‘Paddy’ Byrne (37595) - PoW
74 Sqn Spitfire I K9867 S/Ldr White -OK

24 May 1940
74 Sqn Spitfire I K9952 Sgt E.A. Mould - OK, returned by boat to UK
74 Sqn Spitfire I P9321 F/O Douglas Sydney ‘Sammy’ Hoare (39384) - PoW (Captured 26 May 1940)
74 Sqn Spitfire I N3243 P/O R D Aubert - Killed
74 Sqn Spitfire I K9992 F/L W P F Treacy safe - Patrol. Shot down and returned by ship.

27 May 1940
74 Sqn Spitfire I K9875 - F/L W P C Treacy Evaded - Patrol. Lost in combat and evaded via Spain.
74 Sqn Spitfire I L1084 - P/O P.C.F. Stevenson – ok , returned to the UK by boat on 31.5.40

[tressach]

Do you know what part of Ireland, or county, he came from?

Wilfred Patrick Francis (Paddy “Treacle”) Treacy, DSO, SL 420312, Service No. 37617 (d.20th April 1941)
He died in the Battle of Britain and was one of fourteen Irishmen who were pilots in WWII. He had 5 (2+3) ‘kills’ (official 3.33)
Paddy Treacy joined 74 Squadron with Pilot officer Bryan Vincent `Paddy` Byrne and Sailor Malan and was B Flight commander at the beginning of the war. In Spring 1940, he was the Flight Commander. He flew a Spitfire and saw combat on the 24th (Hs 126 & Ju 88) and 27th May 1940 (Me 109E & Do 17). He went missing in France for the second time in May 1940. In July 1940 he was in Marseille and had escaped three times from the Germans before being arrested by the French. He escaped after capture.
Paddy Treacy became Squadron Leader of 242 Squadron seeing combat 1st and 5th April 1941. The Hurricanes of 242 Squadron flew from Martlesham Heath to the Stapleford Tawney airfield on the 9th April 1941. On the squadron's first operation out of Stapleford (20th April) three Hurricanes collided in cloud over the Channel after finding themselves suddenly under attack from German fighters. The pilots drowned when their Hurricanes crashed into the sea, one of whom was Sq Ldr Treacy.
Buried: Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Plot 11. Row A. Grave 17.
Ref: National Archives UK.
Hess, William N (1966) Famous Airmen: The Allied Aces of World War II. Arco Publishing.
Jones, Ira (1954) Tiger Squadron: The Story of 74 Squadron, R.A.F., in Two World Wars.