Hi all, as you might now I'm researching people from Portsmouth who were killed during the Second World War. One of them was Flight Lieutenant John Coghlan. After claiming six kills flying Hurricanes with 56 Squadron (and earning the nickname 'Nine-Gun' for firing his pistol at an enemy aircraft when his Brownings had run out of ammo), he left suddenly on 3 August 1940 - his log book stops abruptly, with no information as to where he went. 56 Squadron's Operational Record Book records that he was posted to the Parachute Practice Unit at Ringway, Manchester. Apparently Ringway was also a centre for training special agents. Of course later in the war it played an important part in the formation of Airborne Forces. It seems that Coghlan died while piloting a Lysander over Northern France on the night of 17 August 1940. Its unclear whether he was shot down, crashed in the channel, or if he was captured and executed. He is buried in Boulogne (Eastern) Cemetery. One of Coghlan's former ground crew at 56 Squadron saw him before he took off on his last flight - apparently he stopped off at North Weald on his way to France. He had a not very talkative passenger with him, and he said nothing at all about what he was doing. I've tried to find some more information about his last fight, but so far I've drawn a blank. The problem I think is that 1940 was very early in the war for special operations - SOE was only formed on 22 July 1940, so it seems that operations like the kind Coghlan was flying were very embryonic at the time. I've trawled through every book I can find about special operations, SOE etc with no joy. I've had a look in the National Archives catalogue to see if I can find any documents that might shed some light, but drawn a blank. Does anybody have any ideas? I would really like to be able to find out what happened to Coghlan.
I found one entry for him in ATB's The Battle of France that mentions him claiming a Heinekel He111 that was shot down and crashed near Middleburg on Monday 27th May 1940. He was in a Hurricane at the time.
ATB's The Battle of Britain mention him being injured in aerial combat over Calais on Saturday 13th July 1940. No mention in the book of his death.
Hi Drew thanks for that, didnt realise there was info in ATB. I've got his aerial combat reports from TNA website, including the combats you mention.
F/O. John Hunter Coghlan was posted away from No.56 Squadron on 7 August 1940. He was killed in a Lysander on 17 August with a Parachute Training Unit. His body was recovered by the Germans. Sorry that's all I have. Regards Peter
Thanks Peter. Have you got a reference for his body being recovered by the Germans? I'm sat in the McDonalds at Victoria waiting for my coach home after a few days at Kew - I managed to photocopy Coghlan's Log Book and had a look at 56 Squadron's ORB and appendices. Nothing about his posting to Ringway and how he was killed unfortunately, but a lot about his part in the Battle of France and the early part of the Battle of Britain - he was definitely a 'thruster'.
Thanks Peter. Have you got a reference for his body being recovered by the Germans? I'm sat in the McDonalds at Victoria waiting for my coach home after a few days at Kew - I managed to photocopy Coghlan's Log Book and had a look at 56 Squadron's ORB and appendices. Nothing about his posting to Ringway and how he was killed unfortunately, but a lot about his part in the Battle of France and the early part of the Battle of Britain - he was definitely a 'thruster'. James hi. Appreciate this is now an old post thread and I've no doubt you're already long since fully aquainted with the details on the following weblink concerning F/O John Coghlan, but here it is again anyway, just to be sure, to be sure... John Coghlan He's also listed on another notice as MIA presumed killed on 21st Sept 1940, with his DFC having been awarded on 29th Aug 1940, which is a bit confusing. If you haven’t already done so, you could always consider writing to La Mairie of Boulogne to ask him whether his office either holds any burial records from the period, or any contact information for active WW2 historical societies within his province. You never know. I've also had a look through the relevant pages of K.A.Merrick’s - Special Duties Operations book - ‘Flights of the Forgotten’, and there doesn’t seem to be any mention of him in there I’m afraid. Good luck with your ongoing searches though – Phil.
The early SD flights were flown by the Kings Flight which was later incorporated into the SD Sqns at Tempsford
"The station was spared from attack on the 17th August, so we made good progress with the repairs. At the end of the day, I walked to the nearby communication hut to telephone our progress to the squadron at North Weald. I had just completed the call, when a Lysander landed nearby and taxied up to the hut. The engine was switched off and two figures emerged and came towards us. A stocky figure in white flying overalls was followed by a smallish man wearing a brown leather jacket and black beret. It was F/L Coghlan, DFC. and his passenger who was a Frenchman. We were both pleasantly surprised to see each other, for we had had little contact since his transfer to A Flight and none since his posting from 56. He introduced me to his passenger, who said little, and then inevitably the question arose, 'What are you doing here'? From his guarded remarks, it was clear that he was going to drop his passenger into France who, it was equally clear, was an agent. While they had a cup of coffee we chatted pleasantly, then as twilight turned to darkness, he said it was time to go. I walked outside with them, shook hands and wished them 'Good luck'. They took off in the gathering darkness and headed towards France; it was the last I saw of Slim Coghlan; indeed mine was the last friendly face that he saw. For, I later learned that on landing, on this his first clandestine mission, he and the Frenchman were captured and shot. A brutal end to a brave man." Full Bio here: John Coghlan This answer courtesy of Terry Maker from my SOE Forum
