Help required for a German friend regarding the shooting down of a Fairey Battle in Northern France

hello Harry i normally have a good look around at the private headstones but dont recall an aged kerbed headstone assume either the grave fell in to a poor state of family then decided on CWGC headstone

view of Benson

 

That's a good point Harry. I don't think that we've actually seen a caption stating that this was the aircraft they hit. Perhaps not the same one.

 

I have today spoken with Dierk and clarified that he had written the annotations on the photographs, hence the several mistakes.
Dierk is currently looking at correspondence sent from his father to see if he can pin down the 14th May 1940.
He also agreed that the Mk 4 Panzer on the train wagons were underway to Russia and he says he has visited the location and taken a photo showing the rails still in place.
I mentioned that the tank column photograph appeared to show Czech made tanks to which he replied that his father said that his Reconnaisance unit did use Czech manufactured Tanks.
I will post any further information as I receive it.
Regards
Tom

 

Hi Tom

Was looking/reading through this site - HyperWar: The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940 [Chapter III] and noticed this map which would fit with your friends father and the route he took into France that would take him near the airfield of Sgt Perry.



TD

 

TD,
Thanks for that map and information.
It does fit in well with what has been discussed.
Regards
Tom

 

There is a little more detail as such further down in relation to 103 Squadron on that day (14 May 1940):

No. 75 Wing
No. 88 Squadron. Of ten Battles which attacked bridges and columns one was lost.
No. 103 Squadron. Of eight Battles sent against bridges three were lost.
No. 218 Squadron. Of eleven Battles attacking bridges and columns ten were lost.

Fifty-six percent of the seventy-one bombers employed were lost in action that afternoon [this figure is for all 3 wings not just 75]

TD