Spitfire PL845
6MU 1-6-44 Benson 15-9-44 16S 5-10-44 missing on PR mission to Venlo 18-11-44 P/O W C Heath killed
PL845 16.Sqn, Photo Recce to Venlo (NL/German border), FTR ops 18.11.44 (pm), P/O WC HEATH killed (buried in Venlo RC Churchyard)
Definitely X4593 which was a presentation aircraft named KERALA
FF 1-10-40 8MU 2-10-40 603S 8-10-40 266S 17-10-40 Dived into ground from high altitude 3m NE of Holme Cambs presumed oxygen failure FAC3 22-11-40 SOC 1-12-40 FH85.05
can anyone confirm the photo of UO-A (which is 266 Sqn) is X4593 or a ‘generic 266 Sqn Spitfire’ can’t read the code nor is it named
Hub total different (well according to ‘picture’ in BoBtaN )
And BoBtaN says ‘Hub recovered’
So looks like BoBtaN picture is mixed up with another Hurricane recovery
Can anyone on did this week confirmed that it had been ‘dug before’ – I would image the ground physics would show this
You can sometimes work them out but you need multiple sources
I once worked out a code because in the Log Book of a pilot he recorded the Codes and the ORB recorded the codes of the aircraft he flew. But by process of elimination, comparing codes with known fates and serials etc I got down to one possibility
This was not absolute proof but then aircraft was recorded as having an accident of a certain day, I know that the accident card recorded the serial number and that the possible ‘code’ aircraft had an accident the same day (the only one listed in the ORB and same circumstances) – It was not 100% proof but good enough – I think it would have held up in court
But you need multiple sources to do this and then eliminate
Sometimes you get lucky ORB has Serial Log Book has Code and if you know P/O X only flew “A” on date DD-MM-YYYY you have a match
Also you can sometimes work them out based on history of aircraft movements, if Aircraft “A” Serial XXXXX was lost on certain date and two days later a new aircraft turned up but was record in ORB as ‘A’ as well but with Serial YYYYY then you can make a good partial guess that YYYYY was ‘A’ as well
For reference
W.Cdr Aubrey Rickards OBE. AFC
First owner of B1807 (G-EAVX)
Was killed in Aden in 1937 in Vincent K6346
15-Aug-38 TUTOR K3221 of C Flt Gosport crashed on take-off, Northolt.
My understanding is that he would have enlisted as Pilot UT in RAFVR
He may or may not have completed training to obtain his wings
It is obvious he stayed in RAF VR regardless and was called up on outbreak of WW2
If we could find his branch of service (Say General Duties) we would know if he was pilot
Charles Ernest Crosher Service number 751707 Source: Air 78/40
This number in range 740000 to 759999 from Jan 1937 for RAFVR Pilots (Max Known Issued 759361 )
His number is in AFL from Sept 1943 which suggests he was Warrant Officer by 1943
Can’t find branch but maybe pilot not Observer
Can anyone predict at the current rate of resurrection what year we will be on when we get 20,351 Survivors?
I am not saying it is Oxford wreckage, but the Oxford that hit the Mast in August 1941 was
15.8.41 Oxford II P6811 RAFC Daventry FIG Pilot LAC (Pilot u/t) William BULLOCK – 655318;
William Bullocks ,21,(the age on CWGC) death registered at Daventry,
combat drones (from WW1 on [sic]),.
Sitting Ducks & Peeping Toms: Targets, Drones and UAVs in British Military Service Since 1917
https://www.air-britain.co.uk/actbooks/acatalog/Sitting-Ducks—Peeping-Toms-269.html
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=168645
Spitfire Serial P8148 Collided with P8278
Pilot was 1080049 William Joseph JOHNSTON Later Commissioned Service number 189859.
Dave
You can order the ORB for Sept 1940 via
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8395708#imageViewerLink
It has serials mapped to pilots from what I can see
Paul
Can’t disprove Gladiator, but a lot of contemporary news reports quote ‘medium bomber’. Also doesn’t there appear to be a large mount of wreckage for a fighter of that size
Picture of a PV4 here