ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 199572
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| Date: | Saturday 25 April 1942 |
| Time: | 12:50 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 229 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | BE708 |
| MSN: | HB-H |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Mellieħa, Triq Il-Marfa, Il-Mellieħa -
 Malta
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Ta Qali, Malta |
| RAF Ta Qali, Malta |
On 25th April 1942 W/O Douglas Corfe in a Hurricane (BE708) of 229 Squadron, with five other Hurricanes, was sent to intercept Ju88's, Ju87's and Me109's over St Paul's Bay. He became separated from the other Hurricanes and was attacked by four Me109's. Corfe broke away and raced for cover between some hills. He was then hit by local ground fire, losing part of his wing. The Hurricane, BE708 ("HB-H"), crashed into rocks and exploded on impact, killing Corfe. One report indicates the the Hurricane came down at Mellieħa, Triq Il-Marfa, Il-Mellieħa, between 150-400 yards south of the Torri-I-Ahmar (The Red Tower) near the present day Mellieħa Holiday Center. W/O Douglas Corfe was probably was shot down by Hauptmann Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke of III/JG 53.
The pilot- Warrant Officer Douglas Frederick Corfe (Service Number 810075, aged 24) - died in the crash. At the time of his death Corfe was a Warrant Officer and aged twenty-four. He was buried in Capuccini Naval Cemetery, in Plot F, a collective grave (No.99) with eight other airmen, all of whom died between 21st April and 26th April 1942. Parts of the plane wreckage were found in the year 2017.
Sources:
1. Air Battle of Malta: Aircraft Losses and Crash Sites, 1940 - 1942 By Anthony Rogers
2. https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20170910/local/remains-of-warplane-found-75-years-after-crash.657618
3. https://maltagc70.wordpress.com/category/1942/april-1942/
4. https://www.facebook.com/126834467471736/photos/this-is-a-famous-photograph-used-in-many-battle-of-britain-and-spitfire-books-bu/544765732345272/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1703921/corfe,-douglas-frederick/
6. https://www.tribute-to-the-few.co.uk/blog/item/266-douglas-frederick-corfe
7. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/00407.php
8. https://www.rauxaf.net/page130.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Sep-2017 15:13 | gerard57 | Added |
| 25-Apr-2019 21:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 28-Apr-2019 10:38 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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