Flying Officer Robert Welch Henderson

[AL90]

Looking for information on F/O R. W. Henderson DFC from Helensburgh who was killed on 29/1/45 while serving with 241sqn, commemorated on the Malta memorial. There are several entries for him in flight Global and the London gazette.

Thanks,
Alan

[HughAHalliday]

Is this your man ?

HENDERSON, Robert Welch, F/O (128431, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve) - No.92 Squadron - Distinguished Flying Cross - awarded as per London Gazette dated 7 April 1944. Public Record Office Air 2/9624 has recommendation and citation, drafted when he had flown 118 sorties (150 operational hours) as a pilot.

"This officer has proved to be an excellent pilot whose fine fighting spirit, courage and devotion to duty have always been marked, whatever the opposition he has encountered. A gallant leader, Flying Officer Henderson has destroyed at least four enemy aircraft and damaged others."

[AL90]

Thanks Hugh,
He is the man I was looking for, not much is known of him in Helensburgh except that he shot down an Me.410 at some point. I'll pass the information on as it was a request in our local paper.

Alan.

[Rob Henderson]

Alan

I am the nephew of Flt Lt Robert Welch Henderson DFC and could provide you (or the local paper in Helensburgh) with more information if you need it. I would be interested to know more about the request from your local paper and if anything has been published so far.

Rob Henderson

[AL90]

H Rob,
The request was from the Helensburgh Advertiser requesting information on two local airmen. The article had a photo of Robert Henderson in uniform with his dog. In addition to Hugh's information on the award of the DFC I came up with the following:
Shot down while flying a 274 squadron Hurricane by Luftwaffe ace Hans Joachim Marseille ( Messerschmit BF109) 12/2/42, crashed south of Tobruk at 1330hrs, escaped serious injury. Marseille was killed in August 1942 after crashing with mechanical failure.
Dec 43 Shot down 1
8 Jan 44 Me410 over the Sampro
The Me410-A1 was werke No.10345 coded F6+PK of 2(F)./122 (reconnaisance unit)which was shot down at 28,000 feet near Castiglione while flying a routine patrol from Perugia over the Adriatic along the east coast of Italy.
Feb 44 Shot down 1 over Anzio
22 Feb 44 FW190 over Anzio
Promotions:
Temp Flight Sgt. 1/5/42
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35704/supplements/4013
Pilot Officer to Flying Officer 1/11/42
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35996/supplements/1940/page.pdf
Flying Officer to Flight Lt. 1/5/44
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/36520/supplements/2286/page.pdf
Promoted to Flight Lt. 1944 and transferred to 241Sqn in ground attack role

Previously reported missing now presumed killed in action –Casualty communiqué No.288 20/6/46
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1946/1946%20-%201232.html
241 Squadron Spitfire IX PT642- Based at Ballaria, Italy. Abandoned while in a spin in cloud 10 miles east of Cesenatico over the Adriatic 29/1/1945.

Commemorated on the Malta memorial to the missing and Helensburgh War Memorial.

The reference below refers to him as "Curly" Henderson.
http://web.me.com/sirius1935/92_Squadron/Squadron_Members.html

I will send a PM with the papers contact and would be interested in any additional information.

Alan.

[brian]

Hi Rob

In addition to Alan's details, his claims are recorded in THOSE OTHER EAGLES as:

274 Squadron
8/12/41 MC202 probable
12/2/42 Bf109 damaged
9/6/42 Bf109 damaged
12/6/42 Bf109 probable, Bf109 damaged
10/7/42 MC202 damaged
17/7/42 Ju87 destroyed
2/9/42 Ju87damaged
92 Squadron
30/11/43 FW190 destroyed
8/1/44 Me210 destroyed
2/2/44 FW190 destroyed

But I expect you know this from reference to his logbook.

Cheers
Brian

[AL90]

Brian,
Shame that the "probables" were not confirmed.
Thanks for the additional information.

Alan.