First and Last Coastal Command Loss

[Andrew D Bird]

Hi, I do have Ross's book but due to relatives being over for the festive season, its in storage.

I therefore would like to ask if anyone could tell me which crew/aircraft was the first to be lost/shot down and which for the last Coastal Command aircraft/crew to be lost/shot down.

Many Thanks

Andrew Bird

[Dick]

Hi Andrew
Ross records the 1st Coastal loss as 48 Sqn Anson I K8704OY-E, which was ditched close to Thorney Is on 4/9/39 having lost an engine on return from a patrol, the crew were:-
Sgt R E Williams
Sgt F Burton
LAC J Meek
AC D Hider ,all of whom were rescued
The first that he records as being actually shot down was 206 Sqn Anson I , K6183,VX-B that attacked a German He115 off the Friesian Is on 5/9/39 and was shot down by return fire. The crew were
P/O L H Edwards POW
Sgt A O Heslop KIA
AC1 G Sheffield KIA
LAC J Quilter KIA
These come from Ross's Coastal Command Losses Vol 1. He hasn't published the last losses yet!
Regards
Dick

[Errol Martyn]

New Zealander 'Laurie' Edwards was, incidentally, the first British officer to be made PoW during WWII. (Sgt G F Booth and AC1 L J Slattery, both of 107 Sqn of Bomber Command, were the first British personnel to be made PoW, one day prior to Edwards.)

Errol