A local question (actually four questions) from here in the wilds of East Anglia
Spitfire PR XIX, RM632, of 542 Sqn, was apparently abandoned 15 miles NE of Cromer returning from sortie to Ruhr, 6 Jan 1945
Was a Ruhr sortie even possible in a PR Spitfire? I would have thought a Mosquito would be more suited to the task.
Did he stage from the continent, what was the cause of the loss, who was the pilot and did he make it?
Moggy
By: Moggy C - 2nd November 2017 at 14:04
Thanks everyone, the bits start to fall into place.
Was the Squadron still Benson based?
Moggy
By: Spiteful - 2nd November 2017 at 13:00
A bit about his loss in here:
https://legionmagazine.com/en/2008/06/above-enemy-lines-air-force-part-27/
By: David Thompson - 2nd November 2017 at 12:59
Unfortunately, it does not look like he made it home.
No , and there was no recorded launch of the Cromer life boat that day .
By: Spiteful - 2nd November 2017 at 12:55
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2940345/roberts,-leslie-glyn/
Unfortunately, it does not look like he made it home.
By: Spiteful - 2nd November 2017 at 12:03
Looking at 542s ORB, it could be PO L G Roberts who was flying?
By: RJH - 2nd November 2017 at 11:48
Yes of course you are right, very easy to get taken in by ‘book figures’. The article about Flight Lieutenant Ray Holmes makes interesting reading, especially the excerpt from his autobiography on his ‘trip’ to Hamburg.
By: John Green - 2nd November 2017 at 11:31
I have the impression that most PR flights were flown in excess of 40,000ft altitude which would put them outside the reach of most of the Luftwaffe. The Ruhr ? Certainly feasible by a Spitfire.
By: Moggy C - 2nd November 2017 at 11:15
Good points. But you have to be a little cautious with range figures as ‘the book figures’ are at economical cruise, not a wise choice of setting for overhead Germany during WW2 in a Spitfire.
Moggy
By: RJH - 2nd November 2017 at 11:04
If by the Ruhr you mean, for instance, Dusseldorf, that is only 340 miles from Benson according to a map website I just Googled. According to BBMF, PR XIX PM631 has a range of 1500 miles. Also on the BBMF website is an article by Flight Lieutenant Ray Holmes of a trip to Hamburg with a 90 gallon drop tank, I did not know they used drop tanks ! We learn something every day. Thanks Moggy !
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November 2, 2017 at 10:17 am