I am trying to find out something about the Hurricane V7246, I have a picture of the aircraft on the line at Hawkers in Langley,the problem is about the destruction of this aircraft as there appears to be some conflicting reports The Battle of Britain memorial London monument website gives a crash date of the 27 Sep 1940 shot down over Horsham flying with 303 sqn piloted by Sgt. T Andruszkow. The RAF`s Battle of Britain background squadron diaries for 303 sqn on the 27sep1940 has F/O Henneberg flying V7246 while Sgt Andruszkow was flying V6665 which is reported as missing. F/O Henneberg flies again that same day but in a different aircraft, there is no mention of V7246 or V6665 again for the rest of the month. A website HENNEBERG Zdzislaw shows the kills for F/O Henneberg and has a kill for the 27 sep 1940 of a me109 flying V7246. If anyone has any more info I would be greatfull plus any othr information on V7246
According to Fighter Command Losses Vol.1 - N L R. Franks... Sgt T. Andruszlow No.303 Squadron was shot down and killed over Kent in Hurricane I V6665 'J' on 27 September 1940. Where as..... Men of The Battle of Britain - K G. Wynn gives.... Shot down over Horsham and killed when his aircraft Hurricane V7246 crashed in flames at Holywych Farm, Cowden, Middlesex. Not much of a help I know but its two more accounts..... Might be worth applying for each aircraft's loss card from RAF Hendon.
Thanks for your reply , where would be the best place to check the records of aircraft Hendon or National archives, the reason being I am trying to date a picture and two aircraft can be identified in the picture and I was wondering where the best place would be, I suspect Hendon for individual aircraft and propably TNA for 303 sqn records for the operations
Looking again at the picture I am now thinking that this picture was not taken on the production line at Langley, the picture is in Dr John Fozard`s book "Sydney Camm and the Hurricane" on P150-151. Two aircraft can be easily identified as V7246 and V7100, according to aircraft production summary,from the website http://www.k5083.mistral.co.uk/main2.htm , this aircraft was a block4 Hurricane built at Langley while V7100 is a Gloster Block 3 Hurricane, this suggests that the picture is of a repair facility.Other aircraft parts of the serial can be seen and seem to confirm a range of different airframes,though no sqn codes are visible on the aircraft in the front row there appears to be sqn markings on the aircraft behind these. I now think I need a trip to Hendon to see the loss cards for these aircraft.
Depends if you want anything else or havent been to the RAF Museum before. Peters suggestion is really good. They take some time to come back to you but they will and with good information if its there... They are helpful bunch at the RAF Museum, Hendon. Dee
and one agrees with one of Peter's accounts. Hawker Hurricane Mk1 V7246 Hawker built, fourth production batch. Tuesday 3rd September 1940 Hurricane V7246 Slightly damaged by Bf109 over Dungeness 11.20am. Returned safely to base. Flying Officer Z. Henneberg unhurt. Aircraft repairable. Friday 27th September 1940 Hurricane V7246 Shot down in flames in combat over the Horsham area. Crashed at Holywych Farm, Cowden 9.35am. Sergeant T. Andruszkow killed. Aircraft a write-off. Fragments in the Vizard Collection.
Many thanks for your replies, I hope to go to the Air force museum later in the year as I live fairly close and I hope to try and find out if V7246 was shot down this date or V6665 as mentioned in the 303 sqn diary. The diary mentions V7246 being damaged on the 3/9/40 and the aircraft reappears in the diary on 17/9/40, I am not sure how long it would take to repair a Hurricane if it had to go to the repair unit, would 14 days be too quick, I know it would depend on the nature of the damage, any ideas? What or where is the Vizard collection?
Just to add to the confusion here are 2 more possibilities Andruszkow, Tadeusz Sgt POL 303 Sqn KW KIA 27 Sep 1940 † Hurricane V7289 shot down in combat by Uffz. Heinirch Kopperschrager over Horsham and crashed at Holywych Farm, Cowden. [12] From Wapedia POLAND P5125 Sgt Tadeusz Andruszkow. KIA:40/09/15 Polish, RAF 303 Squadron, Hurricane I P3939 From website http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=105008;article=15276; Here we have a different aircraft for the 27/9/40 crash though I beleive this is a B flt aircraft according to the 303 sqn diary while the V7246/V6665 crash was an A flt and a different date of death for the pilot 12 days earlier!. He appears in the diary from the next day though the aircraft P3939 does not. I am getting more confused as I go on
Annsamtree, Try getting in touch with the RAF Air Historical Branch. Building 824 RAF Northolt West End Road Ruislip Middlesex HA4 6NG Tel 020 8833 8155/8153
Thanks for all your replies I think I will have to have a trip out and do some serious research. Going back to the original picture ,it was pointed out that several of the aircraft in the picture have bands painted around the rear fuselage , I have seen this in several other pictures and wondered what it is called? and when aircraft started having them painted on them.The roundels on all aircraft appear to be 4 equal sized bands but 1 aircraft has the tricolour on the tail going up to the top of the fin, any relevance?
I now think I have the answer, it appears that the rings around the rear fuselage was introduced in the winter of 1940 , thus the picture I have must be taken in late 1940 early 1941 due to the number of aircraft in the rework facility with the stripes.V7246 does not have the stripe suggesting it may have been out of service for a little while. The Battle of Britain monument website gives a crash date for V7246 as 27Sep1940 with its pilot Sgt. T Andruszkow being killed , I think this wrong and he was flying V6665 as was stated in the 303 sqn log. The website Polish squadrons remembered has a list of pilots killed during the war and also states he was flying V6665 http://www.polishsquadronsremembered.com/303/303_losses.html Therefore I think that V7246 was being flown by F/O Z. Henneberg unfortunatly I can`t find the website that it is reported on. the website http://en.valka.cz/viewtopic.php/p/374112 shows 303 sqn kills for the Battle of Britain V7246 is coded RF-D but by the begining of Oct this code had passed to another aircraft suggesting that V7246 was damaged possibly on the 27th Sep. I hope in the following weeks to get to Hendon and find out what happened to V7246 and will post the answer here.
From the Aircrew rememberence society Sgt Andruszkow`s page detailing his death with a picture of V6665 RF-J the aircraft he was flying that day. Anduskow
Have been to Hendon and read the aircraft movement card for this aircraft and was surprised at the service it saw during the war, I hope to put it on here in the next couple of days when time permits and I fully understand what I am putting down.
Annsamtree, Great research, looking forward to seeing your conclusions - it could clear up what is obviously a rather confused aircraft history. Reading through your posts again I notice you haven't mentioned what your interest is in this aircraft. Would you mind enlightening us? Mike
It all started with a picture in a book called Sydney Camm and the Hurricane, in the picture on p 150-151 there is a picture which says it was the production line at Langley,we at work thought I wonder when this was taken. 2 serials can be seen clearly V7246 and V7100, digging a bit deeper it could not be the production line at Langley as one was a Gloster built aircraft and one a Langley built one, also most of the aircraft in the background appear to have sqn numbers around the markings so would appear to be a repair facility. the picture also appears in a book by British Aerospace called Hurricane Clouded by legend on p24 where it thought be be at Ham.I have checked the records for both of these aircraft and I can find only 1 place it may have been. I am not sure exactly at this time where it is but my guessing is it is at General aircraft possibly at Hanworth. There is no real reason why I am doing this but it has become something of a little project.I also have tracked the other aircraft down and will start a thread on that when time permits. The Hurricane that was shot down is a bit of an enigma as it appears the official records may be wrong! This will also I think need a new thread to warn people all is not what it seems and do not beleive everything you read
V7246 Contract no 62305/39 Contractor Hawkers Block 4 Fourth Hawker produced block built at Langley Type Hurricane Handwritten in front and behind type is Sea (Hurricane) 1B Type of engine Merlin III Taken on charge 22/9/40 27 MU 27 MU Shawbury Shropshire There appears to be a typo error here with the month I think it should be 22/7/40. A box on the bottom of the aircraft movement card gives a taken on charge of the 3/7/40 for 27 MU. Does anybody know why there is a discrepancy between the two dates, I have seen it on other movement cards. Taken on charge 2/8/40 303 sqn 303 sqn Northolt 303 Sqn formed 2/8/40 at Northolt. Aircraft possibly coded RF-D 2/9/40 Flown by F/O Hennenberg (http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/f5403033.html) destroying 1 Me109 http://www.polishsquadronsremembered.com/303/303_scores.html Claims Me109 only damaged 3/9/40 Flown by F/O Hennenberg. Aircraft damaged (http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/f5403033.html) http://orb.polishaf.pl/303sqn/1940-4/1940-09-no-303-squadron-f540 Aircraft not flown again until 17/9/40 17/9/40 Flown by F/O Hennenberg 20/9/40 Flown by F/O Hennenberg 21/9/40 Flown by P/O Feric 23/9/40 Flown by F/O Januszewic 24/9/40 Flown by F/O Hennenberg 24/9/40 Flown by F/O Hennenberg 25/9/40 Flown by P/O Urbanowicz 27/9/40 Flown by F/O Hennenberg http://www.polishsquadronsremembered.com/303/303_scores.html Me109 destroyed Aircraft reportedly badly damaged by Me109 2nd page of aircraft movement card states in w/o section 27/9/40 FAO(?) Taken on charge 1/10/40 43 grp 34 MU 34 MU Stoke heath 34 MU Repair salvage unit RAF Stoke Heath Ternhill Shropshire Taken on charge 2/10/40 De Havs S.A.S. Service and repair section location?? Possibly Hatfield ,150 Hurricanes repaired here, Witney also possible location. Taken on charge 21/11/40 10 MU 10 MU Hullavington RAF Hullavington Wilts Aircraft storage unit Taken on charge 26/11/40 85 sqn RAF Gravesend, Kent 23rd November 1940 to 1st January 1941 RAF Debden 1st January 1941 to 3rd May 1941 RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire 3rd t0 13th May 1941 RAF West Malling, Kent 13th May 1943 to 1st May, 1944 RAF Swannington, Norfolk 1st May, 1944 to 21st July 1944 Hurricanes used by 85 sqn until 7/41 on night fighter duties. From 1/41 Defiants used and 2/41 Havocs Taken on charge ??/??/41 52 OTU Unable to read date 52 OTU Formed 25/3/41 at Debden moved to Aston Down Gloucestershire 8/41 Taken on charge 16/8/41 R.Iw Hawkers Repaired in works Taken on charge 11/10/41 Repaired Taken on charge 13/10/42 29 MU 29 MU High Ercall Shropshire Taken on charge 2/1/42 G.A.C. mods I think this refers to General Aircraft at Hanworth rather than Gloster Aircraft as I have a picture of this aircraft sitting next to V7100 and checking that aircrafts movement card it was at Gen aircraft at the same time being converted to a Sea Hurricane, though it could be at 44 MU at Edzell but looking at the picture the level of work being carried out looks fairly major , I am not sure if the MU at Edzell would carry out this level of work.A problem I also have with this photo is this aircraft was supposed to be a Sea Hurricane 1B but I can not see any of the catapult mods or an arrestor hook, the aircraft next to it V7100 is also listed as a 1B and served on HMS Indomitable with the RN this also has no sign of a tail hook at this stage.Did all 1Bs have a hook or not? The photo I think was taken between 16/2/42 and 14/3/42 Taken on charge 14/3/42 44 MU FAA 44 MU Edzell Tayside Above the 44MU is FAA while V7100 has RNDA above,in the top left of both cards is FAA 44 MU Taken on charge 2/6/42 M.S.F.U. M.S.F.U. Merchant ship fighter unit Speke RAF unit for catapult Hurricanes off merchantman. Taken on charge 1/7/42 C.A.M. ship Catapult aircraft merchantmen Taken on charge 2/8/42 MR Cat B Taken on charge 11/9/42 FIELD COL SOL RIW ??? Not sure what this means, field collection? RIW=repaired in works.The only clue I can see is the authority part of this item is CRO which is the same as when the aircraft was repaired by Hawkers earlier in its life,some of the writing looks remarkably similar Taken on charge 19/1/43 AW/CN Awaiting collection Taken on charge 29/1/43 48 MU 48 MU Hawarden Flintshire Taken on charge 9/6/43 56 OTU 56 OTU RAF Tealing Dundee Changed from 56 OTU to 1 Combat training wing 10/43 changed to 1 Tactical Exercise unit 2/44 Taken on charge 31/3/44 RIW De Havs CAT B Taken on charge 23/6/44 AW/CN Taken on charge 14/7/44 22 MU 22 MU RAF silloth Cumbria . Aircraft allocated no 5035M here and allocated to ATC Taken on charge 17/2/45 2075 sqn ATC 2075 sqn F????? Manchester?? Taken on charge 24/8/45 S.O.C. On visit to Hendon I was shown a hand written book of the allocation of M (maintenance) numbers, V7246 was allocated 5035Mwhilst at Silloth and was destined for an ATC sqn 2075 which I was unable to read the location but looked like Fall??? Manchester I do not know if it reached here or if it did what happened next
