W/C Gordon HUGHES Crash May 45

[Andy Fletcher]

Could anyone tell me the date W/C Hughes crashed during May 45. I thought it occured on 03 May 45 but his recent obituary states it occured two days before the end of the war in Europe (ie 06 May 45). At the time he was with 34 (PR) Wg and was seriously injured. The obituary states he was flying an Anson, can anyone tell me the serial please.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Andy,

page with history of 34 (PR) Wg said 3.5.45:
http://www.34wing.co.uk/34wing.html - also there are photos of Hughes and his colleague who died later.

According to the CWGC he died on 5.5.45 so the crash can not be on 6.5.45
http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2618148/SPENDER,%20MICHAEL%20ALFRED

Hope this helps

Pavel

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

3-5-1945
No.34 (R) Wing Support Unit
Anson I W1903

Crashed on take-off at B.102, Vorst, Holland.

73047 W/C (Pilot) Edward Gordon HUGHES DSO DFC* RAFVR seriously injured.
136675 S/L Michael Alfred SPENDER RAFVR, died of injuries 5-5-1945.

See: The Anson File/69

and...

The senior Air Force Photographic Interpreter of the Wing was Squadron Leader Michael Spender (brother of the poet Stephen Spender and Humphrey Spender the artist), who was one of the original civilian experts discovered in 1939 by the "Godfather" of photo-reconnaissance, the Australian adventurer, Sidney Cotton. The origin of the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit reads like a spy novel, and can be discovered in "Evidence in Camera" and Cotton's own memoirs "Aviator Extraordinary". Spender was fatally injured on May 3rd 1945 in an Anson piloted by Wing Commander Gordon Hughes (himself a well-known PR pioneer) who was also badly hurt.

See:
Spitfire in Blue.
Smallwood,Hugh.
London:Osprey Aerospace,1996.
p.31.

Col.

[Andy Fletcher]

Many thanks gentlemen, just what I was after.

Cheers

Andy Fletcher