Unaccounted Airmen - Unknown Aircraft, Incorrect Serials, Unidentified Types

[Jagan]

While looking at possible mulitiple serials for a loss,


1942-02-23 Lysander KAMESHWARA DHORA IND/226 Sergeant 1 Sqdn IAF
1942-02-23 Lysander JITAINDRA KUMAR DEUSKAR Flying Officer 1 Sqdn IAF

This is a Lysander of No1 Squadron, IAF was lost over Burma on 23rd Feb 1942. The ORB pages for the month were lost in the retreat.

Based on various serials and logbook sources available. the loss is likely from the following:

P1723
L4797
L6847
P1684
P1674
P1677
P9131

And one of the above was also the serial of the following loss

1942-02-12

Lysander II

Flt Lt

Niranjan Prasad

1586

Sgt

Edward S Moyer 639133 (Canadian)

1 Sqdn IAF

Mingaladon

Baled out after being hitby our own AA fire

From what i recall AB Serials do not add much to the above numbers other than that they were in the far east/assigned to 1 Sqdn IAF

[Andy Marden]

Jagan,
Can you confirm P1684 please?
This seems to have become 3929M in Jul43, after service with 16/277/116 Sqns, so there is no apparent link to India.
Andy

[Jagan]

Hi Andy

On hindsight P1684 seems in error. I may have interpreted it from a logbook entry for Lysander N1648 but that one is a Defiant! As to the reason why I am interpreting the serial number - there seem to be incorrectly painted or written down. Eg.

There is an Lysander L1723 entry and it is likely P1723 with an incorrectly applied serial - https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/i...ject/205085447 Would love to see this original photo though..

[Alex Smart]

Regarding Brown, Blyth, Callick, Perring and Wilson. The a/c was a Wellington Ic in the serial number range W5670 - W5679. I have discounted "70","73","75","77" and "78".as they have all got positive dates and fate. Which leaves "71", "71", "74", "76", and "79".
71,72,74 and 76 were all converted to C.VIII's, and 79 was last with 162 Sqn in collision with HF696 on the 3/3/1943 so this one can also be discounted I think. 71,72 and 76 were last with 6 OTU while 74 was last with 7OTU. Last dates for these four were 71, 23/8/43. 72, Soc22/6/44, 74, Soc 1/4/43 and 76, Soc15/3/44. For what it's worth my bet is W5674. Could not find any NA OTU records for 6 and 7 OTU so if anyone can check ?

[Alex Smart]

To continue "567".

WILSON, G,E Lac - 1236024 - 247 Wing, 8-3-1943 - Wellington Ic W567? a passenger ?

I have looked again at W5674 and W5676, and now am not so sure about "74". So looked at other Wellington possibilities. The only others that it could have been are -
T2567 - 21 OTU - but this ended its days crashing at Enstone on 23/02/1944.
Z1567 - 30 OTU - which was SOC 30/04/1945.

DF567 - 22 OTU - a Mk.III - crashed at Gaydon 15/03/1943.
DV567 - 215 - crashlanded at Dhrubri 11/05/1942, NFD.
HX567 - 215 - Soc 30/11/1944.

Not sure of HF567 -Soc 21/06/1947 because didn't enter service until May/June 1943 unless the 43 should be 42 ?

Other "567's" did not fit the time of the loss due to entery into service dates.
These were JA567,LN567,LP567,MF567,MP567,NC567,RP567.

Reason that it could not be Halifax II DT567 of 51 Sqn.

5 March 43, mission Essen,
Crew: Rawcliffe, Lister, Richards, Richardson, Branscombe, Railston.

7 March 43 "Gardening" mission and the crew names were - Holmes, Ramshaw, Ulrich, Dorton, Harding, McAleese and Tombe. Not heard from again, MiA.
Air27/492/24 page 7

[Ross_McNeill]

Wellington W5675.

Was from Sea Rescue Flight.

Ross

[Alex Smart]

Hello Ross,
Thank you for the info on W5675, from the AB W1000 book it only has 148/108 landing accident 8.3.42.DBF.
So maybe a typo for 42 and perhaps 43 ?

[Ross_McNeill]

Yup a hash up all round. Air81 in this case mirrors the F1180 as recording serial as W567 but confirms MkIc, pilot in command and crash on landing at Birka(sic) on 8/3/43.

AB has 108 from AM78 movement card but this had not been updated to Sea Rescue after disbandment of 108. Transcription error on year.

Ross

[Alex Smart]

Yes, thank you Ross 108 Sqn was in a run down in Late February early March as it became a Beaufighter Squadron from the 10th of March. I see that they also were using Liberators , have checked for any W567 amongst them but none except one not delivered.
So it must have been W5675.
Thank you Ross.
Alex