A long shot (info sought)

[lasermonkey]

Hi,

In the churchyard across the road, lies the remains of Pilot Officer Alan Dunn Hopkin. The inscription on his gravestone tells that he was killed in action on July 10th 1940.

I spent most of last night trying to find out more about him. All I could find was that he served with No 59 Sqn. He and his crew (Sgt TJ Rowles and Sgt J Falconer) were lost when their aircraft R3637 exploded at 03.00 hrs whilst on patrol near Cardiff.

I'd like to make a model of this aircraft, but haven't been able to ascertain the individual code letter, or any other pertinent features. If anyone can help, I'd be very much obliged.

Cheers,

Mark.

[atdb27]

I see from the Reg you mean a Blenheim IV!

Have you thought of going to your local library and look for the series on Bomber Command Losses?

Or try this

http://www.rafinfo.org.uk/BCWW2Losses/

Might shed some light?

Adrian

Edited July 29, 2009 by atdb27

[The wooksta V2.0]

According to Graham Warner's Blenheim, a mighty tome on the type (read it and weep at the sheer waste of brave crews):

10-07-19 R3637 59 Sqn Mk IV: FTR. Blew up in the air, cause unknown, crashed near Ludlow. Crew P/O Hopkin, Sgt Rowles and Sgt Falconer KIA.

What little I can grasp from that is that it'll have the gun pack fitted and it'll be in the Coastal Command scheme. However, as 59 Sqn had been seconded from Army Co-Operation duties, it may still have been in the Dark Earth/Dark Green and Sky scheme. Further brief scans of the same chapter reveal that the aircraft may have had a swivel gun in the nose for the observer and twin guns in the turret.

[Edgar]

59 Squadron performed night reconnaissance, from 28-6-37, for II Corps, initially using the Hector. It continued this role with the Blenheim, from May, 1939, later carrying out recce and P.R. work in France, until forced to withdraw around 20-5-40. The Squadron went to Odiham in June 1940 (which could be the time it was transferred to Coastal Command,) and carried out anti-invasion sweeps, attacks on shipping, and day & night raids on Channel ports, especially those with barge concentrations. As the Squadron wasn't a Coastal Command unit, until the middle of 1940, I doubt that the colours would have been anything other than standard bomber.

Edgar

[DCRanger]

The Temperate Sea Scheme didn't come into use until July 1941 so this aircraft would have had Dark Earth/Dark Green Scheme with Sky undersides - probably. I say probably because Sky came into use in June so it is possible that it still had black undersides. The squadron code was PJ-C.

From Attack Blenheim Operations - June to October 1940: "59 Squadron carried out eleven anit-invasion Channel sweeps with PO Grece and crew dropping four 250lb GP bombs on Cherbourg however due to bad weather and strong winds the squadron lost two aircraft and crews. PO Rex and crew carried out a recce of Le Havre, were driven off course, became lost and crashed at Peterstone near Cardiff, the aircraft burst into flames and all perished. Plt Offr Hopkins and crew carried out a recce of Cherbourg, but bad weather set in and the aircraft became lost crashing on it's return flight near Tenbury in Worcestershire killing all on board.

Hope that helps.

Edited February 6, 2010 by DCRanger

[Nick Millman]

The Temperate Sea Scheme didn't come into use until July 1941 so this aircraft would have had Dark Earth/Dark Green Scheme with Sky undersides - probably. I say probably because Sky came into use in June so it is possible that it still had black undersides. The squadron code would have been PJ-?

Hope that helps.

That was for fighters. Blenheims received applications of Sky much earlier, from October 1939 to February 1940. It was decided to apply the "new" colour to Blenheim IVs at Wyton before they were transferred to France and to selected aircraft in other squadrons which were known as "polished" aircraft. Don't know about 59 Sqn though if it was Army Co-Op.

One of the most enduring misperceptions about Sky is that its adoption throughout the RAF was synonimous with when Fighter Command began to use it in mid to late 1940.

[brewerjerry]

Hi

Have you tried a post here, a most helpful bunch, and quite knowledgeable on aircraft losses and aircrews.

cheers

Jerry

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=1