Those who lost their lives during World War II - RAF Davidstow Moor, Cornwall.
Airborne for second time at 14:35hrs, to search for a missing dinghy, nothing seen, whilst returning to base, aircraft was diverted to Exeter due to bad weather, at 19:12hrs, aircraft crashed in St Ives Bay in poor visibility. F/O Gibbs (Capt) was the sole survivor, he died of his injuries at Davidstow Hospital 30-3-43.
After carrying out an uneventful 12 hour Derange Anti-submarine patrol, F/O. Norton and his crew were diverted to Chivenor on their return owing to bad weather at base, on reaching the Cornish coast an engine burst into flames, after trying desperately to put out the fire F/O. Norton ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft. At 02:25hrs, 6th May, the aircraft crashed into a field at Weens Farm, St Kew Highway. Sgt Edge 2nd pilot, was the sole survivor.
Airborne Davidstow Moor at 05:05hrs, on a Musketry Anti-submarine patrol. At 11:07hrs, a third class fix was obtained by the aircraft from position 49:13N-04:22W. Shot down by German fighters 40 miles NW of Brest
Airborne Davidstow Moor at 05:57hrs, on a Musketry Anti-submarine patrol. Nothing further heard from this aircraft. At 1120hrs, this aircraft was shot down by Lt Gerhard Blankenberg of 13/KG 40, 200 kms NW Cape Ortegal.
Airborne Davidstow Moor at 08:55hrs, on a Musketry patrol. This aircraft suffered total engine failure on take-off and crashed at Tresmarrow Farm, Davidstow. ½ mile NE of the airfield. 1st and 2nd pilots killed.
Airborne Davidstow Moor at 09:30hrs, on a Musketry patrol. This aircraft failed to return. The aircraft was shot down by Lt Dieter Meister of 13/KG 40, over the Bay of Biscay.
Airborne Davidstow Moor at 11:51hrs, on a Musketry patrol. Nothing further heard from this aircraft.The aircraft was shot down over the Bay of Biscay by Lt Friedrich Maeder and Uffz Heinz Hommel of 13/KG 40.
Airborne Davidstow Moor at 13:03hrs, on a Musketry patrol. This aircraft failed to return, it was shot down by Hptm Hanns Morr of 15/KG 40, over the Bay of Biscay.
Airborne Davidstow Moor at 13:27hrs, on a Musketry patrol. This aircraft failed to return. The aircraft was shot down by Oblt Herman Horstmann, StKapt 13/KG 40.
Airborne Davidstow Moor at 11:07hrs, on a Musketry patrol. This aircraft sent a signal to say they were under attack at 16:10hrs. Nothing further heard from this aircraft, presumed missing shot down. This aircraft was shot down by Oblt Kurt Necesany, StKap 14/KG 40 and Lt Lothar Wolff also of 14/KG 40. 130 kms W of Cape Ortegal.
This aircraft was on a ferry flight from Davidstow to Dunkeswell and return with a passenger. Shortly after take off from Dunkeswell the aircraft suffered a wing spar failure and crashed into the ground.
Died from Pneumonia due to damp conditions suffered in the WAAF communal quarters. Buried at Newhaven, Sussex.
Hudson /U, left Portreath on the 6th March for the Azores, but at the far end of the Bay of Biscay it ran into a bad electrical storm, P/O McPeatrie Capt. ordered his crew to put on their parachutes. The conditions worsened as the storm intensified. P/O. McPeatrie lost control and ordered the crew to bale out, only Sgt. W.E. Potwarka was able to bale out and when he eventually broke cloud cover he could see the crashed Hudson burning on a beach near Mira, Portugal.
This aircraft along with 10 aircraft 404 squadron and 12 others of 144 squadron carried out an offensive sweep off Ushant. Many ships were sighted and attacked. J/144, was hit in the starboard engine and crashed into the sea.
This aircraft along with D/524 Squadron carried out night anti-E boat patrols in the channel, on their return they were instructed to land at Chivenor because of ground mist at Davidstow. D/524, landed Chivenor but A/524, attempted to land at Davidstow and crashed. A bomb which had hung up in the bomb bay exploded, there were no survivors.
15 aircraft 404 squadron with a further 15 of 144 squadron and 12 aircraft of 235 squadron, carried out an anti-submarine and armed vessel sweep in the channel, nothing was seen. O/144, touched the water with its port wing during a turn and crashed into the sea. There were no survivors.
After carrying out an armed patrol in the Brest-Ushant area at night, the aircraft returned to Davidstow where the weather was very bad with much low cloud, the aircraft was diverted to Fairwood Common in Wales, but before they could set course the pilot reported that his gyro had toppled and that he had lost control in cloud. At 0320hrs, the aircraft crashed at Trethorne Farm, Kennards House, Launceston. Both crew members were killed.
Took off for an air test when an engine caught fire this quickly spread to the wing, in an attempt to land the aircraft the pilot chose a field off the end of the runway, it proved too small and the aircraft bounced and broke its back on a hedge at Trenuth Farm, Camelford. The tail fell back into the first field whilst the forward half of the fuselage containing the aircrew, the burning engine and fuel tanks crashed into the next field and erupted into a ball of fire. All aboard were killed.
Whilst on an anti-shipping strike, 15 aircraft 404 squadron and 9 of 236 squadron attacked 4 M-class minesweepers in Bourgeneuf Bay, this aircraft was hit by heavy flak which set both engines on fire and the aircraft dived into the sea, exploding on impact.
Whilst on an air test both engines stopped whilst on approach, aircraft crashed into a field east of the airfield, the two crew members were injured, the pilot seriously, he later died from his injuries.
Flown by a 236 Squadron crew.
11 aircraft 236 squadron and 12 404 squadron on an armed shipping strike in the mouth of the Gironde, whilst attacking 2 Sperrbrechers Z/404, was shot down into the sea, there were no survivors.
6 aircraft 404 with 6, 236 squadron on an anti-shipping strike to the harbour of Le Verdon, during the attack on the two warships there, Beaufighter/R, was hit and crashed into the sea.