Friendly fire WWII

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by Observer1940

Inquest
Resumed Inquest at the Downside School Gymnasium 1st June 1943 - Plane Crash at Downside School Playing Ground on May 15th 1943 during a Cricket Match, killing nine of the boy spectators.


Boys were;
Hugh Michael Dearlove (14), son of Group Captain Dearlove killed early in the war and Mrs C. M. Dearlove,

Could anyone confirm if H.M.Dearlove was the son of Group Captain Dearlove who was killed in a FF incident at Gialo Oasis on 30 November 1941 when the Blenheim he was travelling in was shot down by Bofors of 6 LAA Battery R.A.?

Many thanks in advance.

All the best

Andreas

[Brian]

Yes, Andreas, that is correct

Cheers
Brian

[Gunther]

One of the best studies of friendly fire I know of is:

http://usacac.army.mil/cac2/cgsc/car...bs/shrader.pdf

Rather than Fratricide, Maj. Shrader used Amicide. He provides historical models showing that typically friendly fire accounted for -2% of casualties in ground ops but could reach 30+ % in bombing/strafing friendlies.

There have been numerous "Blue on Blue" incidents in air combat, perhaps most notably when von Richthofen probably was WIA by a wingman in July '17. We can only guess at what friendly fire must've been like in Bomber Command and the Nachtjagd...

[Nick Hector]

This is getting to be a long thread, and I must confess to not yet having found the time to read it in its entirety so I apologise if these two have already been mentioned:

1) 452 sqn RAAF, 13.10.41 (Circus 108A).

Bluey Truscott shot at a “German” in his parachute. Quoting the American Historian Donald Caldwell’s history of JG 26: “No. 452 Squadron’s P/O “Bluey” Truscott shot at a parachutist, but the action met with the disapproval of his fellow Australian pilots, and it was apparently not repeated. Ironically, no German pilot bailed out on this day, and Truscott’s target was probably Allied.”
The Truscott biography noted that said target took no evasive action and 452 sqn lost a pilot (SGT E P “Happy” Jackson, Spitfire AB852) on his first mission.

2) I have always strongly suspected that Paddy Finucane's kill of 11.7.41 was actually Spitfire II P7562 of Sgt. Alex C Roberts. The reasons being that firstly, Finucane claimed a 'lone Bf109 that was attacking the formation' and secondly, Roberts got separated from the formation at some point and was shot down trying to rejoin it. Or in other words, exactly when he could have given the impression that he was a 'lone Bf109 attacking the formation'...

Cheers
Nick

[Rainer]

Can someone identify the aircraft shot down in the following friendly fire incident?

At 1125 hours on 19 August 1942, the US tanker GULF OF MEXICO was en route in the Bristol Channel when a single low flying twin-engine bomber appeared out of low clouds from ahead about 1 mile west of Scarweather Light. The aircraft looked like a Ju 88 and did not fire recognition signals, so the order was given to open fire at 1000 yards in accordance with CAMSI instructions to fire at any plane approaching within 1500 yards when east of 36°W. Recieving several hits from three Oerlikon guns the aircraft caught fire and crashed into the sea about 1 mile off the starboard quarter. When the tanker arrived at Milford Haven the next day, they were told that they had downed a British aircraft.

[Observer1940]

Hello Brian

Not sure if you have this one or not, but came across the incident when searching for something else in the Nottingham Evening Post Monday 24th June 1940. I have not checked the spelling on BMD.

"SOLDIER ACCIDENTALLY SHOT"
"Tragedy During Unloading Of Rifle"

"Leslie Ronald Willsher, 19, a soldier, was accidentally shot when a rifle which was being unloaded by another soldier went off while he was on duty in Essex, yesterday."

"A doctor was called, but Willsher, whose home address was Thorncliffe-road, Southall, was dead."

Regards Mark

[Brian]

Many thanks guys

Most interesting.

Cheers
Brian

[flughund]

Wellington HX482 - http://www.lostaircraft.com/database...wentry&e=29178

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg...&GRid=11357038

"Ross was flying as aircrew in an RAF 172 Squadron Wellington VIII 'Leigh Light' bomber, registration HX482 and assigned to Coastal Command and tasked with the identification and destruction of enemy submarines. The aircraft was piloted by my mother's fiancé F/O Gordon Jamieson and on that day was flying an air test and demonstration flight with 8 people on board, including a U.S.Army Air Force officer and one of her ground crew. This was not an offensive mission and the aircraft was unarmed apart from her gun turrets. Flying over Swansea Bay, South Wales in broad daylight and in good visibility, the aircraft was cruising across the bay when she was attacked by anti-aircraft gunners on an American ship, reported as the USS or SS 'Gulf of Mexico. The Wellington was at relatively low level but not in an attacking stance, but was nevertheless mistaken for an enemy aircraft and shot down into the bay. All on board were killed as they had no time to bale out. The wreck remains in Swansea Bay and is protected by UK Government legislation from any interference, although I understand all the crew were recovered from the sea in the following days and buried separately in accordance with family wishes. Gordon is buried at Canford in Bristol. Hope this can give you more closure." (by Stuart Dymond, 4 Sep 2013).

http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/51...ON+VIII+HX482/

[AndreasB]

Originally Posted by Brian

Yes, Andreas, that is correct

Cheers
Brian

Many thanks Brian. That is very tragic.

All the best

Andreas

[ahafan]

Originally Posted by Rainer

Can someone identify the aircraft shot down in the following friendly fire incident?

At 1125 hours on 19 August 1942, the US tanker GULF OF MEXICO was en route in the Bristol Channel when a single low flying twin-engine bomber appeared out of low clouds from ahead about 1 mile west of Scarweather Light. The aircraft looked like a Ju 88 and did not fire recognition signals, so the order was given to open fire at 1000 yards in accordance with CAMSI instructions to fire at any plane approaching within 1500 yards when east of 36°W. Recieving several hits from three Oerlikon guns the aircraft caught fire and crashed into the sea about 1 mile off the starboard quarter. When the tanker arrived at Milford Haven the next day, they were told that they had downed a British aircraft.

A wellington bomber: was shot down off Milfred Haven by a Tanker ship
sharon