RAF Air Sea Rescue Flight Wellingtons / Walrus

[Hamsterman]

Hi all,

 

Are any of you familiar with the RAF Air Sea Rescue Flight which was, as I understand it, the precursor to 294 Squadron?  I'm researching the rescue of the crew of a downed 12th BG / 82nd BS that occurred between 3-6 January 1943.  I've read a fair bit about the rescue of the downed crew and the ordeal suffered by the crew of the RAF HSL that was sent to retrieve them and am of the understanding that the Air Sea Rescue flight provided three Wellingtons and one Walrus for the rescue.  I am hoping to determine the serial numbers of the Wellingtons and Walrus and, if possible, photos of any of those planes.  The Wellingtons were coded "E", "V" and "W" if that helps.  I've been able to find one photo of a Wellington coded "E" but it's labeled at 38 Squadron so I'm assuming those aren't the same planes.  

 

Thanks for any hope you might be able to offer.

Cheers!

Chris

 

[Geoffrey Sinclair]

From Flying Units of the RAF by Alan Lake.

 

Sea Rescue Flight formed on 13 August 1941 at Kabrit, Egypt, redesignated Air Sea Rescue Flight 1 August 1942, became 294 squadron 24 September 1943 at Berka, Libya.  Representative aircraft, Blenheim IV Z7591, Blenheim V EH330, Wellington IC HD978, Walrus II X9584 "C", Goose HK822 "N", Fairchild 91 HK832 "M".

 

According to Shores et. al. A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945 volume 2, on 2 January 1943 two B-25C numbers 20 (Captain R.D. Heinish) and 39 (Lieutenant J. Holmes) from 81st Squadron 25th Group ditched while returning from a raid on Crete (2 gunners from the squadron claimed a Bf109 kill and a damaged), all 12 men on board the aircraft rescued.  The raid consisted of 12 B-24, 11 B-25 and 25 Baltimore, No details about the rescue operation.

[Seahawk]

The story, at least as it relates to Lt J H Holmes' B-25 "39", is told by Norman Franks on pp.24-5 of his Beyond Courage (Grub Street, 2003), a history of ASR operations in the Mditerranean area.  You seem to have the story already so I won't repeat it all.  Take-off from Gambut (in a sandstorm, so only 12 of 36 B-25s managed to get airborne) for raid on Heraklion airbase, Crete.  Smoke noted trailing from starboard engine on way out but they pressed on and bombed target.  About 1//3 way back had to feather starboard engine: running rough.  Fuel low owing to delayed take-off:  port engine then stopped.  Ditched: all 7 men (including a sergeant newsreel photographer who had come along for the ride) boarded a 5-man dinghy.

 

From Franks' account it sounds as if one, possibly two, Wellingtons were involved, followed by a Walrus (too rough for landing) and then a Hudson.  The Walrus managed to attract the attention of the HSL with flares.  No details of any of the aircraft involved and no photos of ASR Flight/294 Squadron aircraft in the book.  There is however a photo of a 12 BG B-25 adrift after ditching on 2 Jan 1943: shows a crewman standing on the rear fuselage between the fins: no details discernable.  Could be "39": Franks says the Hudson seemed to be taking photos.

 

Hope this helps, but don't expect it adds much to what you already know.

[Ossington 2]

Try looking through the Sqn diaries for the time. You might get lucky with serial and code combinations, but a lot depends on the compiler.

AIR49/257 and AIR27/1643 should give you a flavour but without a date for you incident, I can't zone you down any further.

 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=294+Squadron&_sd=&_ed=&_hb=

 

Good Luck. 

[Ivor Ramsden]

I've been looking in the squadron operations record book but I can only find the aircraft letters, no serials.

 

An interesting point from the earliest days of the ASR Flight, in September 1941, is a reference to repainting their "operationally tired Wellington 1C's" from the Night Bomber scheme "following the scheme used by flying boats." It goes on to say that "as there was no copy of this camouflage scheme available and none of the correct  dopes were obtainable the work was carried out with blue, grey and silver dope to a scheme devised by various members of the unit."  Whether this scheme still applied in January 1943 is open to conjecture.

[Hamsterman]

6 hours ago, Geoffrey Sinclair said:

From Flying Units of the RAF by Alan Lake.

 

Sea Rescue Flight formed on 13 August 1941 at Kabrit, Egypt, redesignated Air Sea Rescue Flight 1 August 1942, became 294 squadron 24 September 1943 at Berka, Libya.  Representative aircraft, Blenheim IV Z7591, Blenheim V EH330, Wellington IC HD978, Walrus II X9584 "C", Goose HK822 "N", Fairchild 91 HK832 "M".

 

According to Shores et. al. A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945 volume 2, on 2 January 1943 two B-25C numbers 20 (Captain R.D. Heinish) and 39 (Lieutenant J. Holmes) from 81st Squadron 25th Group ditched while returning from a raid on Crete (2 gunners from the squadron claimed a Bf109 kill and a damaged), all 12 men on board the aircraft rescued.  The raid consisted of 12 B-24, 11 B-25 and 25 Baltimore, No details about the rescue operation.

Thanks!  It's really a bit odd that the flight initially lists the aircraft involved in operations during 1941 but then all but stops listing specific aircraft again for 1942 and the first half of 1943.  Once you get to September and the flight becomes 294 Squadron, they start listing serial numbers again but at the same time, Wellingtons "V", "W" and "E" are now longer listed with the squadron.  Oh well, the search continues. 

Most of the information I've found about the ditched B-25s is for the Holmes crew.  I was aware that Capt. Heinish also ditched but his crews rescue must have been much less exciting as there is only a scant account.

[Hamsterman]

5 hours ago, Seahawk said:

The story, at least as it relates to Lt J H Holmes' B-25 "39", is told by Norman Franks on pp.24-5 of his Beyond Courage (Grub Street, 2003), a history of ASR operations in the Mditerranean area.  You seem to have the story already so I won't repeat it all.  Take-off from Gambut (in a sandstorm, so only 12 of 36 B-25s managed to get airborne) for raid on Heraklion airbase, Crete.  Smoke noted trailing from starboard engine on way out but they pressed on and bombed target.  About 1//3 way back had to feather starboard engine: running rough.  Fuel low owing to delayed take-off:  port engine then stopped.  Ditched: all 7 men (including a sergeant newsreel photographer who had come along for the ride) boarded a 5-man dinghy.

 

From Franks' account it sounds as if one, possibly two, Wellingtons were involved, followed by a Walrus (too rough for landing) and then a Hudson.  The Walrus managed to attract the attention of the HSL with flares.  No details of any of the aircraft involved and no photos of ASR Flight/294 Squadron aircraft in the book.  There is however a photo of a 12 BG B-25 adrift after ditching on 2 Jan 1943: shows a crewman standing on the rear fuselage between the fins: no details discernable.  Could be "39": Franks says the Hudson seemed to be taking photos.

 

Hope this helps, but don't expect it adds much to what you already know.

Yep, that's the story.  The account of the HSL is eye opening.  I have not seen that particular photo that you mentioned.  Is that in Franks' book?  I must have missed it.  I'm also puzzled by the account of the Hudson.  Neither of the other sources I read mention a Hudson and I can't figure out who the Hudson belonged to.  Any ideas?

Thanks!

[Hamsterman]

4 hours ago, Ossington said:

Try looking through the Sqn diaries for the time. You might get lucky with serial and code combinations, but a lot depends on the compiler.

AIR49/257 and AIR27/1643 should give you a flavour but without a date for you incident, I can't zone you down any further.

 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=294+Squadron&_sd=&_ed=&_hb=

 

Good Luck. 

Thanks!  I gave it a go and was able to find a few things but couldn't find serial numbers listed for the Air/Sea Rescue Flight during 1942 through the first half of 1943.  The search continues!  Cheers!

[gingerbob]

17 hours ago, Hamsterman said:

It's really a bit odd that the flight initially lists the aircraft involved in operations during 1941 but then all but stops listing specific aircraft again for 1942 and the first half of 1943.  Once you get to September and the flight becomes 294 Squadron, they start listing serial numbers again...

 

It is possible that there was changing security guidance at various times, but perhaps more likely it depended on the diligence/enthusiasm of the chap tasked with keeping the books- or possibly sometimes the expectations of the CO.  I swear that a few of the record-keepers I've encountered were dyslexic, based on the sorts of errors they made (and my almost total ignorance of how dyslexia actually works).

[Ossington 2]

Some ORB's are a joy to read most are middling to utter rubbish. I curse those who did not record serial AND code, half curse those who only mention one and roundly condemn those that recorded nothing but the weather. You'd think a plane crash causing death or injury would also be worth recording, along with a precise location, but not always.

The blandest one I can think of, offhand, is 93 MU, the bomb store by Swinderby railway station on the Notts/Lincs border. A huge physical effort from hundreds, throughout the war. This place had known difficulties storing chemical weapons but all we get is sports fixtures & inspections.

Back then, people just did not think this kind of stuff was worth recording.   

[Seahawk]

18 hours ago, Hamsterman said:

Yep, that's the story.  The account of the HSL is eye opening.  I have not seen that particular photo that you mentioned.  Is that in Franks' book?  I must have missed it.  I'm also puzzled by the account of the Hudson.  Neither of the other sources I read mention a Hudson and I can't figure out who the Hudson belonged to.  Any ideas?

Thanks!

Yes.  It's on the 2nd page of the illustration section (pages not numbered).  No ideas on identity of the Hudson: sorry.

 

ASR Flight ME became 294 Sq on 24 Sep 1943.  Aircraft on charge to 294 Sq included Walrus II from Sep 43 (W3018 and W3050 G) and Wellington IC and XI also from Sep 43 (examples N2812 Q, MP588 L and MP600 (the last two are Mark XIs).  Source: p.252 of Rawlings: Coastal, Support and Special Squadrons of the RAF (Janes, 1982).  RAF Aircraft W1000-Z9999 (Air Britain, 1998) lists W3050 as having served with both "SR Flight" and 294 Sq.  So, if you are willing to take a bit of a leap of faith, you could assume that Walrus IIs W3018 and W3050 G and Wellington IC N2812 Q were already with ASR Flight ME in Jan 1943.  It's better than a total guess, anyway!

 

PS Franks says ASR Flight's Wellington ICs were specially modified with additional fuel tanks to give them a 15 hour endurance, so the unit may have been keen to hang onto them.

PPS  No record for Walrus W3018.  Record for Wellington IC N2812 is OADF/15 OTU/12 OTU/148/SRF (= Sea Rescue Flight)/294: no dates for moves.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Seahawk

[Hamsterman]

On 1/5/2022 at 7:25 AM, gingerbob said:

 

It is possible that there was changing security guidance at various times, but perhaps more likely it depended on the diligence/enthusiasm of the chap tasked with keeping the books- or possibly sometimes the expectations of the CO.  I swear that a few of the record-keepers I've encountered were dyslexic, based on the sorts of errors they made (and my almost total ignorance of how dyslexia actually works).

Yes, I'm sure there are a number of perfectly rational explanations for the presence or absence or those serial numbers.  My problem is that my desire for the information now doesn't match up with their rational then!  🤣 I do wonder if the record keepers of the day enjoyed their work.  Some seem to have loved it based on the detail added to each entry.  Others appear to have been less enthusiastic.  It is fun to see how each record keep had their own style and challenges/vises.  There is one that I've been looking at recently who always spells the word 'portrait' and 'protrait'.  Another always seems to add additional 1s and 2s to USAAF serial numbers.  With the latter, I think it's an error made when translating the number on the tail of an airplane with the acutall hyphenated serial number.  For example, if 112857 was the serial number on the tail of the plane,, the actual serial number would be 41-12857, and the person would type it as 41-112857.  At least they were consistent so I could figure it out....most of the time.