Malta based Squadron 40 or 104

**kenmorrison** · 18th January 2021, 19:31

I have been researching a man from Berwickshire, John Bell, Sergeant (657296)
He was on a Wellington HD955 based I think at RAF Luqa and was lost on a raid to Sfax, Tunisia on 31 December 1942.
Lots of source material give his squadron as 104 but CWGC list the crew as of 40 Squadron - except for a Canadian who is shown as 37 Squadron attached to 104 Squadron (Spencer Quentin Schrump)

Both 40 and 104 seem (I think) to have been on the island at the time.

Can anyone clarify this for me please?

Ken

**Errol Martyn** · 18th January 2021, 21:55

Ken,

This loss appears in the appendix to David Gunby's 40 Squadron history, Sweeping the Skies. The entry has this to say about the loss of Wellington !c HB955 on the raid against Sfax on 31 Dec 42/1 Jan 43:

Does not appear on the 40 Squadron ORB. Apparently a 37 Squadron crew detached to Luqa and attached to 40 Squadron. All are commemorated on the Malta Memorial.
Crew listed as:
W/O D. L. Iremonger
Sgt T. J. Pritchard
Sgt E. H. Wright
Sgt J. Bell
Sgt A. Campbell
Flt/Sgt S. Q. Schrump RCAF
All killed.

Errol

**CZ_RAF** · 18th January 2021, 22:18

Ken I suppose you have seen already Schrump's service record?

Pavel

**CZ_RAF** · 18th January 2021, 22:34

Ken, the loss is recorded in 104 Sq ORB see pg 7 of 8 - the last row in preview here:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...mageViewerLink

+ also mentioned here - last page:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...mageViewerLink

But only the captain is mentioned + Aircraft as "A".

HTH

Pavel

**CZ_RAF** · 18th January 2021, 22:38

Their fate is mentioned in A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945: Volume 2: North African Desert by Christopher Shores, Giovanni Massimello -if you do not seen it before.
pg 689

https://books.google.cz/books?id=wBr...0HD955&f=false

Pavel