ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 22108
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| Date: | Tuesday 8 October 1940 |
| Time: | 16:00 |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 65 (East India) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K9907 |
| MSN: | 119 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | English Channel near Dover, Kent, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hornchurch, Essex |
K9907: Spitfire Ia (c/no.119) First Flown 23-3-39. Delivered to 65 (East India) Squadron, RAF as "YT-D". Missing believed shot down by Bf109 near Dover 8-7-40. Pilot - Squadron Leader Cooke - killed.
According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1042): "Spitfire K9907 lost in air operations, 8 July 1940. Squadron Leader D Cooke: missing presumed dead"
Nine Spitfires of No.65 Squadron were scrambled at about 3.30pm, also meeting the Messerschmitt Bf 109E’s and lost their Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader Desmond Cooke, who was shot down off Dover in Spitfire Mk.I, Serial No. K9907. In return a Messerschmitt Bf 109E, of 7th Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51, was claimed as destroyed by Flight Sergeant William Henry Franklin. The pilot. Uffz. Konrad Scheiderberger remains missing to this day.
The 65 Squadron records (ORB - Air Ministry Form 540) described what happened as follows: "Squadron Leader Cooke, who was leading the patrol, took his Section through cloud, and when the rest of his Section emerged he was nowhere to be seen; attempts were made to contact him over the R/T, but he was neither seen or heard of again". It is thought a prowling Messerschmitt 109 was again responsible and yet another missing RAF pilot has his name commemorated at Runnymede.
Crew of Spitfire K9907
S/Ldr (26009) Desmond COOKE (Pilot) RAF and Commanding Officer of 65 (East India) Squadron at the time.
As Spitfire K9907 was last seen flying into cloud over the sea, no trace of the aircraft or its pilot was ever found; he is therefore commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1976 p 80)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1042: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502908
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1084886/cooke,-desmond/
4. https://www.facebook.com/126834467471736/posts/8th-july-1940at-200pm-on-monday-8th-july-flying-officer-william-bill-h-c-warner-/483200205168492/
5. https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Spitfire/RAF-65Sqn-YT/pages/Spitfire-MkIa-RAF-65Sqn-YTD-K9907-sd-by-Bf-109-Dover-SLdr-Cooke-KIA-8th-Jul-1940-01.html
6. https://www.genealogy.com/forum/regional/countries/topics/englandcountry/150382/
7. https://www.brightoncollegeremembers.com/roll-of-honour/desmond-cooke
8. http://www.doverwarmemorialproject.org.uk/Information/Articles/Incidents/First%20Nine%20Days.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Aug-2008 23:17 | Anon. | Added |
| 27-Dec-2011 07:00 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Destination airport, Source] |
| 02-Nov-2012 00:51 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Nature, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 09-Jun-2015 09:33 | Angel dick one | Updated [Operator, Location, Destination airport] |
| 19-Apr-2019 05:42 | Anon. | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Oct-2019 17:42 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 10-Oct-2019 16:35 | juza7 | Updated [Operator] |
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