Hurricane "NA680" in AIR81/14488?

[wwrsimon]

Hello everyone

AIR81/14488 has Sgt. R. F. Southern lost in Hurricane "NA680" which is actually a Halifax III serial. Clearly it's a typo, but for what, exactly...?

Link: https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ls/r/C17385987

Regards

Simon

[wwrsimon]

Hello again

Apologies for the gratuitous bump, but can anyone help?

Regards

Simon

[Jagan]

This is certainly one of the Unaccounted serials in my google sheets that i have shared.


Sergeant R F Southern: missing believed killed; Hurricane NA680, 238 Squadron, aircraft failed to return from an operational flight over Bardia Harbour, Libya, 23 May 1942

Couple of extra points to note:

Going by other losses around the time for 238 Sqn http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...&submit=Search the Hurricanes the unit held are most likely in the Bx Series.

For 680 in the last three places, following serials turn up

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...gs=&crsh=&cur=
none of the Bx680 ac seems likely .. BG680 appears to have gone to Russia. BE and BN aircraft are both accounted for.. though BN680 noted to have been lost with 607 Sqn in FE is not recorded in the ORB of 607 and is an unresolved loss.

[robstitt]

Air Arsenal North America confirms BG680 as supplied to Russia.

Robert

[wwrsimon]

Many thanks for the replies Jagan and Robert

So, the two letters-680 Hurricanes:

Hurricane IIB AG680 - w/o in the UK June 12th 1942

Hurricane IIB AP680 - to Russia

Hurricane IIB BE680 - w/o May 3rd 1942 with 174 Sqn, pilot P/O G L Cooper RCAF P.o.W.

Hurricane IIB BG680 - to Russia as confirmed by Robert

Hurricane IIB BN680 - I've got this with 607 Sqn and Damaged Beyond Repair on October 25th 1943.

Hurricane II HL680 - too late?

Hurricane II HW680 - too late/went to Far East

Later Hurricanes in the L*680 range are too late also?

I did wonder if 'NA' was shorthand for 'not available' and the last three digits were the only part of the serial recorded.

Maybe 860, instead?

Hurricane IIB BD860

Hurricane IIB BG860 [went to the Far East, 232 Sqn, lost Singapore, S.O.C. Janaury 1942]

Hurricane IID (IV?) BN860 [was still operational in June 1942]

Hurricane BW860 - Sea Hurricane - http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_BW835_BW884.html

Regards

Simon

[AL90]

Hi,
Just had a look at the 238 Sqn Record of Events for April 1942 ( May is not on file) which lists the codes of each aircraft, all are shown as "Hurricane 1". Sgt. Southern is listed flying a variety of different coded aircraft. Checked the same for March in the hope that serials were listed, just coded and "Hurricane 1".
Hope this is of some use.

Alan.

[Franek Grabowski]

Hi,
Just had a look at the 238 Sqn Record of Events for April 1942 ( May is not on file) which lists the codes of each aircraft, all are shown as "Hurricane 1". Sgt. Southern is listed flying a variety of different coded aircraft. Checked the same for March in the hope that serials were listed, just coded and "Hurricane 1".
Hope this is of some use.
Alan.

May is mingled with June I think. Southern was lost flying Hurricane E.

[wwrsimon]

That's correct Franek.

The only serial for a known Hurricane 'E' of 238 Sqn in John Rawlings' "RAF Fighter Squadrons" is Hurricane IIB BG950.

Regards

Simon

[AL90]

Found the Record of Events for May, the squadron had moved onto Hurricane IIB's. Unfortunately BG950 was transferred to 225 squadron and is listed as "Engine cut; crashlanded near Souk el Khemis 2.3.43". I suspect the answer lies in the AIR 81 file and that the transcription of the title is in error.

Alan.

[paulmcmillan]

Hurricane IIB BD860 = Russia