ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 49750
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| Date: | Saturday 7 October 1944 |
| Time: | 12:05 LT |
| Type: | Airspeed Oxford Mk II |
| Owner/operator: | 2 Gp CF RAF |
| Registration: | X7288 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Zoutelande Flak Battery, Westkapelle, Zeeland -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Benson, Oxfordshire |
| B.58, Melsbroek, Brussels, Belgium |
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford Mk.II X7288 of 2 Group Communications Flight, Royal Air Force. Written off (destroyed) 7 October 1944 when shot down by AAA (Flak) from a coastal battery at Zoutelande, Netherlands. The aircraft caught fire, and the pilot - the sole person on board - was killed. According to a rough translation from Belgian into English of a published Belgian source (see link #2):
"Airspeed Oxford X7288
07-10-1944
Zoutelande
At 10:20 LT, from RAF Benson started the Oxford Mk.II X7288 of No.2 Group Communication Flight with a destination near Melsbroek airport near Brussels. What went wrong will never come to our attention, but the pilot will stay on top of it Westkapelle appeared after which the device shortly later - at 12.05 hours - Crashed near the coastal battery at Zoutelande.
Airspeed Oxford Mk.II X7288 of No. 2 Group Communication Flight - on the way from Benson To Brussels - went wrong over Westkapelle and was shot down by Flak. The pilot - the sole person on board, Flying Officer Reginald William James "
His body was interred at the Noorder cemetery in Vlissingen. In 2011 a memorial dedicated to him was unveiled at Zoutelande. (see link #5)
This loss was reported by the Naval Commander Southern Holland [Seekommandant Südholland]: "12:05. A Dakota** shot down by the 1st gun of the 6th Battery of the Naval Anti-Aircraft Battalion 815 [I. Geschütz / 6. Batterie / Marine-Flak-Abteilung 815]. Crashed in the battery grounds of the Zoutelande Battery [Marineküstenbatterie Zoutelande]".
This was based on a report by the Anti-Aircraft Commander Flushing [Flak-Kommandeur Vlissingen] who got the message in at 12:35 from the 7th Battery of the Naval Coastal Artillery Battalion 202 north of Zoutelande [7. Batterie / Marine-Küsten-Artillerie-Abteilung 202] that additionally reported: "Crew burnt."]
**Oxford X7288 was mis-identified as a C-47 Dakota!
Sources:
1. https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T4497&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
2. https://db.wingstovictory.nl/pdf/452-story.pdf
3. http://www.databankzeelandwo2.nl/index.php//databanken/zeeland/militairen-per-gemeente?option=com_hbd_data&RecordID=380&Welke_database=HBDVliegtuigen
4. http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RAFVR_officers_J01.html
5. https://verwehte-spuren.de.tl/_Zoutelande.htm
6. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=14040238
7. http://www.campingjanse.nl/aanzee/omgeving/gedenkmonument/
8. https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/23682/Memorial-to-Reginald-William-James.htm
9. http://en.ww2awards.com/person/47065
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 02-Aug-2017 20:23 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Dec-2017 19:18 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Operator] |
| 04-Oct-2019 17:14 | TigerTimon | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Source] |
| 28-Oct-2019 09:00 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
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