Hi All, I'm trying to find out what happened to a relative who died on the 28th Mar 1943. I've been told on the RAF commands forum Sgt 1081258 Magnus W Metcalfe, RAFVR - 172 Sqn was killed in Wellington XII MP506 'M' of 172 Sqn which took off from Chivenor at 19.18 hours. Aircraft failed to return, no signals were received. I'm wondering if anyone on here knows how to find out a little more. What were they doing? Was it a training flight, a patrol, enemy action? Thanks for the help, Michael
Panel attached from Runnymede Memorial METCALFE, MAGNUS WILLIAM Rank: Sergeant Service No: 1081258 Date of Death: 28/03/1943 Age: 23 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 172 Sqdn. Panel Reference: Panel 159. Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL Additional Information: Son of Marmaduke and Wilhelmina Metcalfe, of Blyth, Northumberland; husband of Muriel Allison Metcalfe, of Blyth
You could download the 172 Squadron ORB for March 1943 (£3:50) it might give more details Squadron Number: 172 Records of Events: Y | The National Archives
Magnus Metcalfe was one of a number of men on the Runnymede Memorial who were being researched by someone on RAFCommands back in 2012 but I don't think any progress was made. I have nothing much else to add except a bit of background on the Coastal Command activities of the squadron. It seems that 172 Sqdn a/c M-Mother attacked submarine U-91 in the Bay of Biscay at 22:45hrs on 27 March 1943, using a Leigh Light, though without damaging the submarine; one sailor was drowned as it crash dived, however, Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Hollenborg who remained firing an AA gun on the bridge until the last minute. This was the night before Magnus Metcalfe and the rest of his crew disappeared in the same a/c. 19 Group (Coastal Command) were deployed in Operation ENCLOSE I between 21 and 28 March 1943, operating against U-boats in the Bay of Biscay. As part of this Group 172 Squadron flew Wellingtons equipped with Leigh Lights (powerful searchlights) and newly-acquired ASV radar, finding submarines on the surface with the radar and them illuminating so they could be attacked. Hence I presume the hours-of-darkness timing of M-Mother's attack on 27 March, and its evening takeoff on the 28th. Cheers, Pat.
Mooog1 (Graham) of North Devon has a deep interest in Coastal Command's Chivenor and might be able to help with this Wellington aircraft loss.....he might see this thread
This is all brilliant, thank you all so much for the help. Pat, the description of the previous night's sortie is really interesting. Would a crew have been assigned to a particular aircraft? as in would Magnus have been in M-Mother during the action you have described? Alieneyes, I don't know where you found that document but it's great and one I'll definitely be adding to the family history file. Thank you all again, Michael
I don't know about aircraft assignation, Michael, I'm afraid. Coastal Command probably had their own ways of doing things: in Special Duties squadrons (which I have some knowledge of) crews flew different aircraft although they seem to have been often assigned the same one for a number of operations - I think it was to do with availability and also in some cases aircraft type (some of which were modified to specific roles). To speculate, in Bomber Command I get the impression that crews flew mostly the same aircraft, perhaps as a result of a surviving crew's growing seniority and the arrival of new machines? In reality I should think it varied a lot. If you get hold of the ORB it will give a crew list for M-Mother for the 27th March which will resolve this question in detail, if not in general. I'd be interested to know (might clear up the question of whether he was on a second dickie operation, too). Cheers, Pat.
