George………this one is a REALLY TOUGH ONE to figure out….
I’ve gone thru all the records, matched Aircraft codes with Serial Numbers, counted, double checked, looked at records BEFORE the 17th Mission and AFTER the 17th Mission…………and at the end here is what I know (from these records)
FACT 1: - Operation No 106
424 Squadron reports the following aircraft went ON the mission
Code D, E, J, L, M, N, Q, U, V, W, X, B, A, P, S
424 Squadron Reports the following aircraft RETURNED (ABORTED) Mission
Code A, D, P, S
Skipton on Swale Ops Report the following aircraft went ON the mission (completed the mission
Code E, J, L, M, N, Q, U, V, W, X
Skipton on Swale Ops Report the following aicraft RETURNED (ABORTED) Mission
Code A, B, P, S
Skipton on Swale Ops Report aircraft CODE G, crashed on takeoff (no crew injured)
Summary: so from the above we have a couple of discrepancies. Mix up on “aircraft that completed and aborted mission”. 424 Squadron do NOT confirm which aircraft crashed……they just say one aircraft had a “mechanical issue” and did not take off. When comparing lists both add up to 15 aircraft ON the mission, 4 aircraft RETURNING (ABORT), leaving 11 Aircraft COMPLETED MISSION
In ALL of the above, neither 424 or Skipton on Swale report aircraft “K” LW117 was on this mission, or crashed, or had a mechanical etc.
Fact 2:
Skipton on Swales reports what happened in the ground crash (assuming its “G” MZ 802) and it reports the aircraft was a “write off” (non fly able, piece of junk, going to the scrap yard…..sorry these are my words)
424 Squadron records show “G” MZ 802 “scratched out” on their records meaning it was NOT on the mission (and NO mission report)
424 Squadron records show “H” HX 316 “ scratched out” on their records meaning it was NOT on the mission (and NO mission report)
Fact 3:
The ONLY American was Flying Officer Keys who was Captain of “G” MZ 802 which DID NOT flying on this mission (assuming it was the ground crash)
Fact 4:
THE NEXT MISSION, which was OPERATION NO 107
This Shows “G” MZ 802 as FLYING on this mission, with Flying Officer Keys?????? So the Report from Skipton on Swale that Aircraft Code ‘G’ was the one that ground crashed. May be incorrect????
Fact 5:
I’ve checked the next missions and I do NOT see any missions with ‘K’ LW117 BUT…….on the mission on the 25th Sep 1944………a “NEW” Aircraft Coded ‘K’ MZ 376 shows up………As normally in RCAF service they “re-use” the Code letters after a previsous aircraft has crashed or taken out of service……So this is telling me the “K’ LW 117 has been removed from service with 424 Squadron and replaced with a new aircraft………does this mean that LW 117 is the “crashed” aircraft, or it has just been taken out of service?????
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Fact 6:
‘G’ MZ 802 is lost in action on the 9th Oct 1944……….which confirms that this aircraft could NOT have been the aircraft that ground crashed on the 17 Sept 1944 as reported by Skipton on Swale……….
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SO, I’m going to check other records, but right now I have NO confirmation on the correct aircraft the ground crashed on the 17 Sep 1944
I just finished going thru 433 Squadron RCAF records. 433 and 424 Squadron “shared” the airfield at Skipton on Swale……..their is nothing in the records indicating any crash on the 17 (they also took off that day on missions)…….and nothing saying they lost an aircraft at the RCAF Station…..so nothing to help me confirm anything about LW117???