ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229837
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| Date: | Monday 8 July 1940 |
| Time: | 15:45 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 79 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N2384 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | English Channel, off Dover, Kent, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hawkinge, Kent |
| RAF Hawkinge, Kent |
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I N2384, 79 Sqaudron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from an air combat patrol over Dover, Kent. Pilot bailed out, but severely wound, and died of wounds. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1044): "Hurricane N2984 [*sic] lost in air operations, 8 July 1940. Pilot Officer J E R Wood: report of death".
At 3.15pm, Pilot Officer ‘Dimsie’ Stones found himself leading the Squadron because his section was sent off first from Hawkinge, followed five minutes later by the rest of the squadron (at this time the squadron was depleted to a total of nine aircraft), which was scrambled to intercept an incoming raid in the Dover area. The Squadron searched fruitlessly for an hour before being ordered to return to base, land and refuel. ‘Dimsie’ Stones later wrote; ‘ it was one of those days when we had a solid layer of cloud at about 8,000 feet and on turning back to Hawkinge, some 109’s must have come through that overcast and picked off Woody and Edward "Tubby" Mitchell, who were at the rear of our formation. The rest of us saw nothing.’
Leutnant Herman Staiger and Leutnant Kurt Bildau of the 7th Staffel of JG.51 claimed ‘Spitfires’ north-west of Cap Gris Nez at 3.35pm. Oberleutnant Arnold Lignitz of the 9th Staffel of JG 51 claimed to have shot down a Hurricane in the same area at the same time. The latter strongly coincides with the place, time and date of the loss of Hurricane N2384.
Pilot Officer John ‘Woody’ Edward Randell Wood was able to bail out of his blazing Hurricane, Serial No. N2384, and parachuted into the sea, but was terribly burned and already dead when a boat reached him.
Crew of Hurricane N2384:
Pilot Officer John ‘Woody’ Edward Randell Wood (Pilot) RAF 33448 - killed in action 08/07/1940, buried at Hawkinge Cemetery, Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent
His remains were buried with full military honours in the Hawkinge Cemetery on the 12th July 1940, along with F/O Mitchell, who was lost at the same time.
Note that the official Air Ministry file AIR 81/1044 contains an error; the Hurricane involved was N2384 and NOT N2984. The serial N2984 was allocated to a Vickers Wellington 1c of 149 Sqaudron, RAF which crashed on 2 March 1940 at Burnt Fen, 9 miles North West of RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, with the loss of all six crew.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1044: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502910
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2361230/wood,-john-edward-randell/
4. https://www.facebook.com/126834467471736/posts/8th-july-1940at-200pm-on-monday-8th-july-flying-officer-william-bill-h-c-warner-/483200205168492/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Oct-2019 18:40 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 10-Oct-2019 16:36 | juza7 | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 29-Apr-2023 15:27 | Nepa | Updated [[Aircraft type, Operator]] |
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