430131 - Unaccounted airman - 31-1-1943 (Tunisia)

[Henk Welting]

Looking for GRO-listing and cause of death of F/O (Obs) Leslie H. HUNT - 115605, buried Enfidaville War Cem., Tunisia, whose name I couldn't find in Flight archives.
CWGC lists him being 277 Squadron but this unit never operated in North Africa.

Regards and thanks,
Henk.

[AlanW]

Henk,
It's a typo that should read 227sqdn.

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

Re: F/O (Obs.) Leslie Hubert HUNT - 115605.

Sunday, 31 January 1943

Four Beaufighters of 227 Squadron flew a shipping strike, attacking three small schooners; a Bf109 was seen to attack a 272 [sic] Squadron Beaufighter. Very heavy flak was encountered from the ships, and from all along the coast from Monastir, Hergla, Bou Ficha and Hamerat. Two Beaufighters crewed by Flt Lt J A Rae/P/O L H Hunt and Sgt A M Reynolds/F/Sgt W D Goff, were shot down; the Germans claimed that a Beaufighter was shot down over a convoy by one of their fighters - possibly the 272 [sic] Squadron aircraft. Ten Mc202s reported attacking six Beaufighters at midday, claiming one probably destroyed, and one possibly destroyed and two damaged.

See:
Fighters Over Tunisia.
Shores,C,Ring,H,. & W N Hess
London:Neville Spearman,1975
p.185

The Beaufighters were from No.227 Squadron.

CAN J/7684 F/Lt John Archibald RAE RCAF + (Malta Memorial)
115605 F/O (Obs.) Leslie Hubert HUNT RAFVR + (Enfidaville War Cemetery)

CAN R/98064 WO2 Arthur Mac REYNOLDS RCAF + (Malta Memorial)
1257891 F/Sgt (Obs.) Wilfred Oswell GOFF RAFVR + (Malta Memorial)

Rae's entry in; Those Other Eagles/Shores p.483, also contains several errors.

Col.