ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 192881
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| Date: | Sunday 16 January 1944 |
| Time: | 14:30 |
| Type: |  Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk X |
| Owner/operator: | 404 (Buffalo) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | LZ296 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | North Sea off Norway. -
 Norway
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland |
Beaufighter LZ296/N: Took off for Rover patrol in the Stadlandet area off the Norwegian coast. 16/01/1944
On 16 January 1944, five Beaufighter of 404 Sqdn took off between 11:53 and 11:58 hrs from RAF Wick and joined another Beaufighter from 144 Sqdn took part as escorts to Torbeaus (Beaufighters bearing torpedoes) of 144 Sqdn on a Rover Patrol on the Norwegian coast. Landfall was made at Storholm Light and the patrol turned south along the coast to Stadtlandet. During the transit, two armed trawlers were sighted by 62°15’N 05°15’E who opened fire on the patrol. The Beaufighter LZ296/N was apparently hit. The formation set course for base at 14:26hrs from Gtterone Light and shortly afterward two explosions were seen from the starboard engine of ‘N’. It carried on for three minutes, maintaining level course. The pilot was then heard on VHF to say ‘This is it, chaps,’ the aircraft touched down in ditching position, navigator fired a red Very light. The Beauf then hit the water in a heavy sea and broke up. P/144 circled the area but no survivors, wreckage or dinghy were seen.
Crew:
F/O (J/14440) Marcel Auguste DECLOUX ( pilot) RCAF - killed
F/O (151.027) John GILHESPY (nav.) RAFVR - killed
Sources:
1. http://404squadron.com/Jan1944.html
2. ORB 404 Sqdn RCAF
3. http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12269/539?r=0&s=2)
4. http://www.worldmilitair.com/Countries%20Serials/uuuu/uk/lz100.pdf
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Jan-2017 14:57 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
| 13-Oct-2018 16:51 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 16-Jul-2019 08:20 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Other fatalities, Operator] |
| 20-Jan-2021 18:06 | db | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Operator] |
| 05-Oct-2022 21:14 | Nepa | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, Operator] |
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