G'day all we at Fallen digger normal research Missing ww1 and 2 soldiers. we have been asked to research a missing flight crew from the 162nd sqaudron. The Missing crew were with the R.A.A.F flying under the R.A.F. Would like to know which air base was the 162nd base in Algeria . These chaps were flying a Blenheim and crashed out in sea with all 3 crew lost and passanger. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
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I presume that it is this incident, no leads on which airfield it took off from though: Blenheim BA315 Lost off Saida, Algeria 29-Jan-43 162 Squadron RAF - all crew KIA: BACKHOUSE, Herbert Frederick (Flight Sergeant) 406323 RAAF / MESSER, Alan Kenneth Bert (Pilot Officer) 406570 RAAF / CHEYNE, Alexander Wilson (Sergeant) 1001912 RAF / AC2 STONE, Charles Edwin 1112618 (passenger) The casualty file for Messer has been digitised at the NAA but I'm not seeing any flight details in it. If I had to guess, most RAF ops seem to have been out of Bone, Algeria
Backhouse files is digitised too, he has details of 230 Degrees 3 miles of the coast. We believe its a typo and should read 23 degrees.
Cheers Kevin - it's normally easier for us to offer help if there are as many details as possible up front. Myself and many other punters on here love helping with this sort of WW2 research - just tell us what you have already done and we will carry it on from there. cheers Dave
This thread (http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/37124-raf-squadron-orbs-digitised-by-tna/) shows how to download the ORBs (Operational Record Book) for RAF squadrons. The ORB will show for each month all the flights and where they took off from etc. Around AU$5 per file
Thank you very much have downloaded the ORB for the 162. The question would be now if they did crush at sea what currents or tidal conditions run through the mediteranian. Will have get one of my other researchers to look that up.
Hi Dennis, Unable to add any further information regarding the crash however there is a good photo of Flight Sergeant Backhouse taken at Somers on the Mornington Peninsula in 1940. Cheers Geoff (also from Melbourne)
We have that photo Spidge, thank you any way. I was told you are the man to talk to. My email is dennis@fallendiggers.com.au
