Can anyone please provide details of a 219 Squadron Beaufighter loss on or about 14th February 1943, probably flying out of RAF Catterick or its satellite RAF Scorton.
Hi, this would seem the closest in date, being 14th but March, not February 1943 STRANGE, CHARLES RONALD. Rank: Flight Lieutenant. Trade: Nav./W.Op. Service No: 115534. Date of Death: 14/03/1943. Age: 33. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 219 Sqdn. Grave Reference: C. of E. Sec. Row O. Grave 13. Cemetery: CATTERICK CEMETERY. Additional Information: Son of Charles William and Lilian Strange; husband of Eleanor Isobel Strange, of Chiswick, Middlesex. No other casualty on the Squadron until June, so believe the pilot must have survived. Flight archives show him as promoted in its 2nd June 1943 edition, so close to his death. That led me to the circumstances leading to his death http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york43/v8609.html
Date: 14-MAR-1943 Type: Bristol Beaufighter Mk.VIF Owner/operator: 219 (Mysore) Sqn RAF Registration: V8609 C/n / msn: Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair) Location: North Sea E of Hartlepool - United Kingdom Phase: Combat Nature: Military Departure airport: RAF Scorton, Yorkshire Destination airport: Narrative: Cat.E Return-fire Do217 Crew: S/Ldr (90727) James Storrs MORTON DFC (pilot) RAF- Ok F/Lt (115534) Charles Ronald STRANGE (nav.) RAFVR - KIA
Thank you both for your replies, but this is not the aircraft or the crew I was looking for. Since I posted this request, I have found out that one member of the crew who was killed was F/Lt Z J Domanski and the date I have been given was 14th February 1943 for a Beaufighter out of RAF Scorton. I can only assume that I have been given the wrong date.
ALEXANDROWICZ Antoni 219 Squadron Killed in a training accident 14/2/1943 http://www.polishwargraves.nl/new/7004.htm Zbigniew Jan DOMAŃSKI 219 Squadron Killed in training accident 14/2/1943 http://www.polishwargraves.nl/new/7059.htm Note website lists month as 03 but from pictures of gravestones date of death can be seen to be February 14 1943 More info here: http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://cieldegloire.com/005_alexandrowicz_a.php&prev=search
Thank you very much Orwell 1984 for giving me confirmation of the loss and the details. And thanks again to KevinBattle and Peter Clare
Kevin Battle: The report you gave about Charles Strange. He was my Grandfather. Thank you for publishing.
Jimmyw64: That's why most of us try and give as much detail as we can find, so that relatives can find out something of what happened. Have you thought about applying for his Service Record? The 213 Squadron Operations Record Book (ORB) may also be available, there are several other Pals who may be able to add some more for you. I was just lucky in finding that link for the original enquiry, even though it turned out not to be the incident required! Apologies for slow response, we're on holiday in Spain, so not tuning in every day. Coincidentally, we used to live in Chiswick, but no knowledge of the Strange family in our time there.
Strange family were Winnie + Charles, Charles married Eleanor, Winnie (known as June) married Greville Collins
