ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 279157
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 June 1944 |
| Time: | 21:00 |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IX |
| Owner/operator: | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF |
| Registration: | NH207 |
| MSN: | YO- |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 1 mile west of advanced airfield B6, Coulombs, Calvados -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | B-6 Coulombs |
Pilot: J15790 F/O Harry Elmore Fenwick, DFC, RCAF
Aircraft was Red 4 in a flight of 4 Spitfires detailed to patrol the Normandy allied beach head following report of an enemy aircraft in the area. Cloud base was from 1000 to 1500 feet. A Fw-190 had recently dropped through the cloud base over their home airfield and had been engaged by allied AAA with no visible results. The flight was vectored back to the airfield, when they were spotted approaching, Red 4 was trailing the other 3 aircraft and was engaged by AAA fire of unconfirmed origin. Hits were observed on aircraft by multiple ground witnesses, it pulled up into the clouds and was then seen to dive out of cloud and impacted the ground near vertically disintegrating in the ensuing explosion. The pilot did not abandon aircraft and perished in the crash.
The initial July 5 investigation blamed allied AAA for the incident but due to lack of definite evidence, a further investigation was requested. A more detailed investigation was opened on July 18 and its 31 July conclusion read as follows:
The witnesses were re-interrogated and had no further information to add. Not one saw where the A.A. fire originated. Reports of 106 Brigade Batteries were examined and not one of the Batteries had fired at an aircraft at 21:00 hrs except for the F.W.190 mentioned in evidence.
Bearing in mind the position of the enemy lines on June 21st, 1944, the Spitfire a/c N.H.207 was less than one mile from these lines when witnesses saw the a/c engaged by A.A. and could therefore be engaged successfully by enemy A.A.
By the evidence of F/L Hanlin, the Spitfire N.H.207 was completely disintegrated by the crash and nothing could be gained by examination of the wreckage.
This court has therefore reached a different conclusion than the original court, done on Spitfire LF IX NH 207 flown by F/O H.E. Fenwick, D.F.C.
The Court finds that, as the Spitfire N.H.207 could have been engaged by either Allied or enemy A.A. and as there are no conclusive evidence that indicated which, it is impossible to prove whether this a/c was hit by Allied A.A. or enemy A.A.
Therefore, the accident was caused by the pilot and/or the a/c being hit by A.A. from the ground, there being no proof of the A.A. being Allied or enemy.
Sources:
F/O Fenwick's personnel records from RCAF/DND Canada archives
Accident reports contained in RCAF/DND Canada archives
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2059057
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/ParadieArchiveDatabase/?q=15790&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=15790&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=14506
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 27 October 1941 | AB983 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 1 | French coast near Dunkirk | |
w/o |
| 27 October 1941 | W3601 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 1 | Martin Hill, near Deal, Kent |  |
w/o |
| 28 April 1942 | AB917 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 1 | Whitfield Kent | |
w/o |
| 3 August 1943 | BL339 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 1 | Underhill farm, Surrey | |
w/o |
| 20 December 1943 | EN629 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | near Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant |  |
w/o |
| 28 June 1944 | MJ246 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | Near Briouze, Normandy | |
w/o |
| 19 September 1944 | JK795 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | Gerwen, Nuenen, Noord-Brabant | |
w/o |
| 2 October 1944 | MJ726 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | Oosterheide heath along the Rechtestraat, Odiliapeel, Noord-Brabant | |
w/o |
| 2 October 1944 | MJ300 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 1 | B.82 Grave Airfield, Noord-Brabant | |
w/o |
| 20 October 1944 | MK676 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | B.80 Volkel Airfield, Noord-Brabant | |
w/o |
| 20 November 1944 | MJ604 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | B.80 Volkel Airfield, Noord-Brabant | |
w/o |
| 8 December 1944 | MJ245 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | B.88 Heesch Airfield, Noord-Brabant | |
w/o |
| 22 February 1945 | MJ851 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | 7 km N of Hengelo, Overijssel | |
w/o |
| 1 March 1945 | MJ448 | 401 (City of Westmount) Sqn RCAF | 0 | B.80 Volkel Airfield, Noord-Brabant | |
sub |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Jun-2022 15:02 | tachel | Added |
| 11-Jun-2022 13:45 | tachel | Updated [Source] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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