F/O D. Stein 263 sqn MIA on 10/30/1941 - Westland Whirlwind P7015

[Benoit Paquet]

F/O was shot down on 30 October 1941 over Morlaix (Brittany, France) when flying the Westland Whirwind P7015. I'm looking for the letter after HE- on the aircraft (HE = 263 Sqn at that time).

[PeteS]

If nobody here has a copy of AIR81/9945 (Pilot Officer D Stein: missing believed killed; aircraft failed to return from operational flight over Morlaix aerodrome, France, Whirlwind P7015, 263 Squadron, 30 October 1941.) it may answer your question if you order one.
cheers PeteS

[Jagan]

Rob Bowater's 263 and 137 Squadrons: The Whirlwind Years , a comprehensive work on the type does not give any squadron codes , either in its Whirlwind production listing at the end of the book , nor in the main text.

[Benoit Paquet]

Thanks for your answer. May be I'll order the book ; we see some photos with D. Stein. I'm the president of ABSA 39-45, an association working on airmen losses in Brittany during WWII.

[Benoit Paquet]

Thanks for answer. I'll wait some time if someone had this copy. If not may be I'll buy it. I'm the president of ABSA 39-45, an association working on airmen losses in Brittany during WWII.

[jossleclercq]

Hello

If nobody here has a copy of AIR81/9945 (Pilot Officer D Stein: missing believed killed; aircraft failed to return from operational flight over Morlaix aerodrome, France, Whirlwind P7015, 263 Squadron, 30 October 1941.) it may answer your question if you order one.
cheers PeteS

I've copied more than a hundred casualty packs and I've never seen individual letters quoted in any of them. Perhaps with files from later in the war they may quote them.

Apart from this, some casualty packs offer very interesting détails, not only about the loss itself, but also about the background of the airmen involved (place and date of birth, family détails)

Joss

[Benoit Paquet]

Thank you Joss. In fact, my goal is to know the code because our association (ABSA 39-45 that you know - Daniel Dahiot the founder) has a partnership with the modelkit club of Châteaubriant (Western France) which makes the model kits of fallen aircrafts in Brittany. And we wish to know the code of this Whirlwind flwon by D. Stein and fallen in Morlaix.

[jossleclercq]

Hello Benoit,

I fully understand, no longer a modeller myself, but just for historical completeness, I too like to have the individual letters.


There are a few books specialized on the Whirlwind or the Squadron who flew her, so these are the best options to find individual letters. The point is to get access to pilots' logbook and match them against ORB entries, especially when pilots noted the code letters and not the serials. It worked a few times for me, and I think it's what Mr Bowater did, as much as he could.

Good luck and keep up the good work with ABSA

Joss

[pfP7063]

Hi Benoit
According to the three main WW reference books by Bingham, Bowater & Corduroy - the identification letter for P7015 is currently unknown. Additionally, in the course of his extensive research into the WW, Jerry Brewer has not been able to identify P7015 either.
Kind regards.
Paul

[SteveBrooking]

I realise it is a longshot but have you made contact with these people https://www.whirlwindfighterproject.co.uk/ they seem to be doing some fairly serious research...

Steve