Thank you, however, now may be the convenient point to refer to my original request (#1 p1 above, after thread merge)
"Looking for details of several Blenheim Delivery Flights (BDFs) in late 1940 UK to Middle East.
Ideally I should like to see some record of
Aircraft x serial, aircrew, and date for BDFs UK to Egypt in Sep 1940 and Nov 1940
Detail to hand, from aircrew Log Book, diary and later narrative sources.
About 24 Sep 1940
Three Blenheim IV aircraft
Wyton-Thorney Island-Malta-Egypt overflying France by night
Inc Mk IV T2174 (Herbert, Dunnet, Young)
From 29 Nov 1940
Individual Blenheim IV aircraft successive flights
Watton-Thorney Island-Malta-Egypt overflying France by night
Inc Mk IV T2179 (Sgts Baker, Hay, Checketts)
and others incl Sgts Bennett, Tunstall and France
and at least one other (Sgt Martin as Obs)
The two known a/craft are both recorded as on Wyton charge before departure, while Martin (a/c not known) reported dep Bodney.
Not unexpectedly, AM Form 78 detail is sparse, just broadly confirming dating."
That is, in summary: for two shortish periods c 24 Sep and c 29 Nov, aircraft and crew for UK BDFs to Middle East via France and Malta, crews thence to 211 Sqn .
Work to date summary
Nil results:
AIR 28/844 THORNEY ISLAND
AIR 28/902 Watton
AIR 28/905 Watton Appendices
AIR 28/961 WYTON
AIR 81 Casualty files
AIR 81/3492 Goldie, Dean, Conner Blenheim IV T2176 eg:
records no relevant BDF ops detail. Ref to Middle East Reinforcement Unit as originating Sqn, by survivor report, produces NIL hits at TNA Discovery
AIR 29/271 Deliveries of Aircraft By Air...
Although earliest folios record some aircraft/crew data for eg Wellesley flights, by the periods in question NIL aircraft/crew details. From June to Nov 40 the fortnightly reports are in narrative form, but largely lacking aircraft or crew details from June on. By 6 Dec 40, the report has been reduced to an a/craft sent/delivered table at 2-week intervals from then onwards, in two parts: the Takoradi and Malta routes.
At 27 Dec 40 Bulletin 33 summary shows that since 1 Aug 1940 for UK Malta Middle East Air Route
67 Blenheims sent from UK
9 lost en route Malta
58 arrived safe Malta
55 arrived safe ME (ie Egypt)
AIR 23/7569 Greece: Delivery of Aircraft to British Air Force Units
Interestingly the originating Unit for this file is C Squadron 102 Maintenance Unit [Abu Sueir]
Commences 9 Dec 40 and from then to April 41 brief aircraft and crew details are recorded for Egypt-Greece direct.
There are some details of interest to 211 Sqn, so far, for existing members...summary work proceeding but broadly, the period recorded is too late for the newly arr crew/aircraft for dates originally sought.
Further work
One of the Delivery files noted two UK Maintenance Units as originators: possible retrieval of ORBs in the New Year, also for 102 MU ORB (AIR 29/1035/3).
The aim, to repeat, is to find, for two shortish periods c 24 Sep and c 29 Nov, aircraft and crew for UK BDFs to Middle East via France and Malta, crews thence to 211 Sqn.
I appreciate the efforts undertaken on aircraft serial/losses, which may prove useful to those with an interest in eg Takoradi.
Footnote:
For interest re TNA file retrieval, my chosen researcher recovered the three latest files, in all just under 300 pages, good jpg & pdf copies, all in under a month from TNA, at a cost to me of about 35 pounds stg
Blenheim Delivery Flights to Egypt late 1940.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Alex Smart
Bookmarks