410420 - Unaccounted airman - 20-4-1941 (Greece)

[Henk Welting]

Looking for the Hurricane serial number !

S/Ldr Marmaduke St.J. PATTLE - 39029 - DFC & Bar (from South Africa) commemorated on Column 239 of the Alamein Memorial. He was flying Hurricanes with 33 Sqn and 20-4-1941 tasked for a raid on the Piraeus Harbour. Attacked by a Bf 109 and crashed into sea off Eleusis, Greece (his home base).
Source: FlyPast Nov 2000 page 68.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
From Air War for Yugoslavia,Greece and Crete(Shores, Cull and Malizia),p271, Pattle was flying AS988 when he was shot down by 2 Me110'S. Air Britain Serials confirms the loss of the a/c but has it with 80 Sqn. It is not entirely clear but the narrative seems to have Pattle as on 80 Sqn also.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick. AS988 may have been on loan from 80 Sqn (both 33 Sqn and 80 Sqn were based at Eleusis).
Regards,
Henk.

[DCRanger]

According to Ace Of Aces Pattle's original squadron was 80 but on 12 March 1941 he took command of 33 Squadron. On his final flight there were fifteen Hurricanes - the remnants of 33 (9 aircraft), and 80 (6 aircraft) squadrons.

Details can be seen at http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/commonwealth_pattle.htm

[ian94avenge]

Serial AS988 does not ring true, but need to check when at home. From memory most Hurricane Mk I in ME and Greece at this period were from S/No prefix P, V or W.

Ian