37 Squadron - Wellington Q-Queenie May '43

[jossleclercq]

Hello,

According to Air-Britain HA100-HZ999 volume :
HE660 served with No. 1446 flight / 1 Overseas Aircraft Delivery Unit / 37 Squadron. I'd say the two first units had to to with its ferrying to the Middle East ? Hit by HF697 and destroyed by fire, 11 June 1943.
HE861 : 311 Ferry Training Unit / Med : Destroyed by fire when HF697 blew up Kairouan, 11 June 1943.
HZ108 : No. 1446 flight / 1 O.A.D.U. / 37 Squadron : damaged beyond repair when HF697 blew up Kairouan, 11 June 1943.

HF697 : No. 1446 flight / 1 O.A.D.U. / No. 1446 flight / 1 O.A.D.U. [duplicate entry in the book ?] / 37 Squadron / 40 Squadron : swung on take off ; hit HE660 and blew up, Kairouan 11 June 1943.

David, can you confirm whether 3 or 4 Wellingtons were involved ? I presume you got the details from AHB ?

Chorley has the No. 432 Squadron Wellington lost on 3/4th July as HE630 (not 660), QO-B crashing on a house at Gravesend, Kent.

Joss

[dfuller52]

OK, so we have the incident of Jun 11 pretty much nailed down, with a 40 Sqn a/c taking out three empty kites from 37 Sqn.

Do the other references to a Jun 4 fire point to a different accident? John Slade's and the 236 Group adjutant's diaries both mention the earlier incident. The Adjt says he saw a fire on the horizon and on checking, it involved only three aircraft. If this is a separate accident, then the photo of the burned-out Wellington, dated Jun 6, might not be 'Q' Queenie - but why else would he have that photo if not of his own plane?

Could they all just have their dates wrong? It doesn't sound like it. Is there another accident listing for 231 Group?

Questions, always questions...

[RobJ]

Hi David,
Dad's diary states that the incident was in direction of 150 Squadron on 4/6/43. This would suggest a 150 Sqd aircraft. The ORB for Squadron or the losses reference books will possibly have the answer. Haven't started on the names yet 12 -14 hour shifts not giving me much spare time. Oh for Xmas break!!!

Regards,
Rob Jerram.

[Blades]

I've received a little more information regarding the crash from my brother, but sadly no dates, I'm no further forward but I thought I'd share this anyhow.

"The aircraft was shot down by flack from German anti-aircraft guns based on the massively strategic island of Pantaleria, off the southern coast of Italy (I suspect that the film Guns of Navarone is based on it) as the huge guns there controlled that part of the Med, The co-pilot crash landed the a/c in either Libya or Tunisia"

Thanks again folks.
Colin

[dfuller52]

Hi Colin,

Starting from the beginning, I tried to find crew from the original crash date you mentioned of 30 May 1943. Nothing comes up at all that I could find.

I did a search for any 37 Sqn aircraft crew lost between 1 Apr 1943 and 01 Jun 1943 and nine entries showed up. Perhaps David Gunby or Rob or someone else can identify the aircraft involved.

BAKER JG 1375117 37 SQDN 16/04/1943 RAFVR
BALDWIN LW 655682 37 SQDN 16/04/1943 RAF
BIGGS WF 1180082 37 SQDN 16/04/1943 RAFVR
HADOW JM 122121 137 SQDN 16/04/1943 RAFVR
MARSDEN-LEVY AW 116094 37 SQDN 16/04/1943 RAFVR
PAYNE DC 116397 37 SQDN 16/04/1943 RAFVR

ADAMS AN 127929 37 SQDN 19/04/1943 RAFVR
HARRIS N 949111 37 SQDN 19/04/1943 RAFVR
HAYHURST J 1233021 37 SQDN 19/04/1943 RAFVR

[COL BRUGGY]

Hi David,

Hadow, No.137 Sqn, as indicated. His Whirlwind, P7121 hit the ground during dive-bombing practice at Manston on 16-4-1943. He is buried in Margate Cemetery, Kent.

You have omitted R/114486 F/Sgt Grant Depew CLINE RCAF from your 16-4-1943 listing.

Col.

[dfuller52]

Thanks Col,

There is definitely something wrong with Geoff's and/or my browser. After the last time, I deliberately searched for both "Canadian" and RCAF, and got nothing.

[RobJ]

David,
Will search the ORB this weekend for names you came up with. Just finished 16 hr shift and doesn't get any better before May next year. Forgive me if I'm a little slow in following things up, but will do so.

Colin,
Had a quick look at Dad's Log Book. 37 Sqd attacked Pantelleria from 2/6/43 to 20/6/43 approx before going on to Sicily etc. Will look in this time frame as well in weekend. The names you supplied I don't recognise off the bat but again will do search through Dad's diary.

Regards,
Rob Jerram

[Marco]

I've received a little more information regarding the crash from my brother, but sadly no dates, I'm no further forward but I thought I'd share this anyhow.

"The aircraft was shot down by flack from German anti-aircraft guns based on the massively strategic island of Pantaleria, off the southern coast of Italy (I suspect that the film Guns of Navarone is based on it) as the huge guns there controlled that part of the Med, The co-pilot crash landed the a/c in either Libya or Tunisia"

Thanks again folks.
Colin

Hi,

Just a grammatic note: the correct name of the island is Pantelleria and, as far as I can remember, the film "The Guns of Navarone" was placed in Greece, on the Aegean Sea.

[David Gunby]

I think your answer to the 150 Sqn losses is as follows:

4 June Wellington III HE955. Flare acidentally released before take off. The aircraft caught fire and exploded. No casualties. But two others (HE602 and HF671) were set on fire by debris and destroyed, while four others were damaged.

David