AllanGW
30th January 2008, 12:56
Firstly let me give you four extracts from the 460 Sqdn Operations Record Book:
3/4/43 Lancaster W4310 – F. S/L Speake DFC on operation to Essen. Time down 2149 hrs.
3/4/43 Lancaster W4210 – C bar. F/O K Moore DFC on operation to Essen. Time down 0027 hrs.
4/4/43 Lancaster W4310 – F. P/O Hudson DFC on operation to Kiel. Time down 0203 hrs.
4/4/43 Lancaster W4310 – C bar. F/O K Moore DFC on operation to Kiel. Failed to return.
This looks like a simple case of a wrong serial number for F/O Moore’s aircraft on 4/4/43, so if you substitute W4210 for W4310 on that operation, all appears well. But it isn’t, as ‘W4210’ is not a valid serial number!
Chorley records the loss of W4310 on 4/4/43, but as UV-C bar, yet it’s recorded as coming back with P/O Hudson as UV-F from that operation, although it doesn’t appear subsequently with 460 Sqdn or any other unit as far as I can tell.
The Aircraft Movement Card for W4310 doesn’t help at all, as it records W4310 as Cat E (Missing) on 30/3/43, five days beforehand and on a date when no 460 Sqdn losses are recorded!
If we accept that F/O Moore and crew were lost with W4310 UV-C bar, then which aircraft had become ‘UV-F’? All through January and February 1943, this was W4310.
Has anybody got logbooks or any other documents that might throw some light on this, or any ideas? I’m baffled!
Regards
Allan
3/4/43 Lancaster W4310 – F. S/L Speake DFC on operation to Essen. Time down 2149 hrs.
3/4/43 Lancaster W4210 – C bar. F/O K Moore DFC on operation to Essen. Time down 0027 hrs.
4/4/43 Lancaster W4310 – F. P/O Hudson DFC on operation to Kiel. Time down 0203 hrs.
4/4/43 Lancaster W4310 – C bar. F/O K Moore DFC on operation to Kiel. Failed to return.
This looks like a simple case of a wrong serial number for F/O Moore’s aircraft on 4/4/43, so if you substitute W4210 for W4310 on that operation, all appears well. But it isn’t, as ‘W4210’ is not a valid serial number!
Chorley records the loss of W4310 on 4/4/43, but as UV-C bar, yet it’s recorded as coming back with P/O Hudson as UV-F from that operation, although it doesn’t appear subsequently with 460 Sqdn or any other unit as far as I can tell.
The Aircraft Movement Card for W4310 doesn’t help at all, as it records W4310 as Cat E (Missing) on 30/3/43, five days beforehand and on a date when no 460 Sqdn losses are recorded!
If we accept that F/O Moore and crew were lost with W4310 UV-C bar, then which aircraft had become ‘UV-F’? All through January and February 1943, this was W4310.
Has anybody got logbooks or any other documents that might throw some light on this, or any ideas? I’m baffled!
Regards
Allan