Dornier over Seaford Sussex 1944.

[malc51]

My mother in law nearly 90 bless her, was stationed with the ATS at Seaford 1943-45.
She was a range & height finder for an AA gun, she says they shot down a Dornier sometime after D Day 1944, she claims there is no doubt as it was daylight and they were the only gun firing. She was told it was a Dornier 17, it crashed inland and 3 bodies were taken to RAF Ford. Does anybody have any information that might tie in with this?

[Andy Saunders]

Could it be 19/20 March 1944?

The 71 AA Bde that night shot down a Dornier 217 near Friston which is just two or three miles from Seaford.

All four crew were killed.

Given the passage of time and fading memory, might this be the one? Some of the details fit: Dornier, shot down by AA, near Seaford. Although it was not "after D-Day" it was 1944 and four not three crew died. Being night rather than day is the big difference, though.

Its all I can offer initially, but will see if there are other candidates.

[malc51]

Some more information on her, she was in 134 Regiment RA, 583 Battery.

[Andy Saunders]

Does anyone know if this was part of the 71 AA Bde?

It may be useful to check all the relevant army unit's War Diaries at Kew; Brigage, Regiment and Battery.

[Brian Bines]

Enquiries on R.A. units can be sent to the Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich http://www.firepower.org.uk/contact/index.asp by E-Mail, who may, if the record exsists, confirm the date of the claim. As Andy says I do not think there is another claim so close as the Do217 on 19/20 March 1944,

Regards

Brian Bines

[malc51]

Thanks for your help,
Both the 71st & 134th were Heavy AA Regiments of the Royal Artillery.
I contacted the Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich as suggested and received the following reply:-
"I have looked through the War Diary for 583 (Mixed) Battery of 134 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery and can confirm that this Battery and Regiment were heavily engaged against the enemy on the days after D Day.
On the 17th June 583 Battery fired 76 rounds of 3.7 inch AA shells at 01:52 Hours and claimed 1 enemy aircraft destroyed, on the 18th June they fired 128 rounds of 3.7 inch and 40mm Bofors and claimed at 23.04 1 enemy aircraft destroyed. In action again on the 28th June at 23.30 Hours firing 33 rounds of 3.7 and 40mm Bofors, a claim for one enemy aircraft was submitted, on all occasions type of aircraft is not noted but one could well have been a Dornier 17.
The Regiment and Battery was in action all through July and August 1944 as main defence against "Diver Aircraft" known as Buzz Bombs or more properly V1 Flying Bombs; of which they shot down 4."


The 23.04 and 23.30 timings could explain the daylight claim as this was wartime double summertime, it still could have been just light at that time in June.
I'll have a chat with her and see if i can find out more.

[Brian Bines]

The Home Office weekly reports give the following enemy aircraft reported over the UK in the period :-

14/15th June Single aircraft dropped bombs in E.Anglia
15/16th June ten enemy aircraft over the UK during attacks by Flying Bombs
19/20th June brief land fall by enemy aircraft at Dover and Dungeness
20th evening two enemy aircraft over east Scotland and one over Scapa Flow
20/21st June two enemy aircraft over E.Anglia
22/23rd. June five intruders over E.Anglia
23/24th June One enemy aircraft over Orfordness destroyed by a NightFighter ( Ju188 of I(F)/122 crashed near Woodbridge Suffolk)
From 0600hrs. on 28th June to 0600hrs on 5th.July no enemy aircraft reported overland.

Any chance your mother in law may have remembered the crashed Do217 on 14/15th (not 19/20 as previous ) March near Friston (crew all killed), and the later June claims were for aircraft approaching the coast and claimed as shot down in the sea. There was a lot of luftwaffe activity over the Channel in June against Allied shipping and the aircraft claimed may have approached the UK coast (mining) without planning to fly inland.
I believe file AIR16/173 held at the Public Records Office Kew may contain brief details of AA claims in 1944,

[malc51]

I contacted the Royal Artillery Museum again and asked them to check the 583 Battery diary for March the 14th 1944, I have received the following reply:

At 23.00hrs 583(M) battery engaged an enemy aircraft (not specified as to type) the claim was confirmed as an enemy aircraft shot down.

I explained this to my mother in law and she says the only plane that crashed close was the one they claimed to have shot down, she now thinks she may have been mistaken with the timming, it was a long time ago and her gun was regularly in action so this is understandable.
This now looks like the Friston Dornier claimed by 71 AA Bde, I suppose it is possible more than 1 battery was firing at the same aircraft.
I now want to try and find which 71 Battery it was and check there diary at Woolwich.