ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 50843
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| Date: | Tuesday 22 February 1944 |
| Time: | 10:00 LT |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb |
| Owner/operator: | 501 (County of Gloucester) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | BL311 |
| MSN: | SD-H |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Vrouwenpolder, Zeeland -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent |
The pilot, Flying Officer Sydney Hatfield Cheeseman (Service Number 152360, aged 21), abandoned the Spitfire 15 km southwest of Walcheren island. He is missing to this day and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
The aircraft was on a "Ramrod" operation to Gilze-Rijen airfield, the Netherlands.("Ramrod" - bomber raid escorted by fighters aimed at destruction of a specific target in daylight).
In the morning, 66 B-26 Marauders of the 386th Bomb Group USAAF raided Gilze-Rijen airfield, on which they dropped 317 x 250 lbs and 927 x 100 lbs high-explosive bombs. They were escorted by RAF Spitfires.
On 30 October 2020, the "Daily Mail" reported that some of the wreckage of Spitfire BL311 - believed to be the "slipper" auxiliary fuel tank - had been uncovered from where it crashed by coastal erosion on the beach at Vrouwenpolder (see link #4)
Sources:
1. https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T3447&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._501_Squadron_RAF
3. http://www.associations.rafinfo.org.uk/code_names.htm
4. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8896597/Wreckage-Spitfire-belonging-WWII-hero-pilot-discovered-washed-Dutch-beach.html
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1084338/SYDNEY%20HATFIELD%20CHEESEMAN/
6. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p023.html
7. https://db.wingstovictory.nl/pdf/369-story.pdf (Dutch text)
8. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/remembering-today-22-2-44-fo-s-h-cheeseman-152360-royal-air-force-volunteer-reserve-510-sqdn.69124/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 16-Feb-2019 13:47 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 20-Feb-2019 12:20 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 30-Oct-2020 15:12 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jun-2022 16:29 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 18-Jun-2022 11:22 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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