I'm reading John D Clarke's book French Eagles Soviet Heroes The Normandie-Niemen Squadrons On The Eastern Front. Page 123 leads me to ask this question, what Wellington did Commandant Louis Delfino shoot down on 12 August 1942 whilst he was flying out of Dakar Vichy West Africa whilst he was serving in a Vichy French Unit. Do we know who the crew of that Wellington were? Reason I ask is that on delivery of their new YAK 3 aircraft in 1944 the ground crew were painting the kills marks on the fuselage. The Soviet crewman who was to paint the kills on Delfino's plane was collared by a fellow French pilot who was an early 1940 de Gaulle Volunteer . He had a joke at Delfino's expense and got the Soviet painter to ask Delfino if as well as the black crosses of Luftwaffe kills whether he'd like an RAF roundal painted on his YAK too. As Delfino had served in the Vichy Forces before joining the French unit in Russia and had shot down said Wellington. Delfino declined the offer. Googled him & found a bit on him & list of Kills. Louis Delfino, french fighter pilot.
An interesting incident Owen, I've had a look through my reference books but I have nothing that covers the West Africa area, so I've taken the liberty of posting your request on another forum. Petr
Didn't really need to post elsewhere, the info was in my copy of RAF Bomber Losses in the Middle East and Mediterranean - Gunby / Temple 12th Aug 42. Wellington II W5565, 1 OADU (Overseas Air Delivery Unit), Took off from Gibraltar for flight to Bathurst, ditched off French West Africa after attack by French fighters, the two dead airmen went down with the aircraft. The others were interned until December 1942. P/O A.B. Kidson Int. P/O W.R. Simpson + P/O E.O. Hampshire, Int. Sgt T.S. Woodley, Int. Sgt E.W. Draper + Sgt L.C. Neave, Int. Another aircraft was lost on the same day..... Wellington IC HF882, 1 OADU. Took off from Gibraltar for Bathurst but failed to arrive. No other information is available for this loss. Regards Peter
Thanks again Peter. WR Simpson CWGC :: Casualty Details GW Draper CWGC :: Casualty Details Shame they were shot down by a Frenchman. Least he made up for it on the Eastern Front.
Had to check up where Bathurst was, it was the old name of Banjul, in The Gambia, it's surrounded by Senegal, capital Dakar. I wonder what that felt like in WW2, a small British garrison surrounded by the Vichy French ?
Had to check up where Bathurst was, it was the old name of Banjul, in The Gambia, it's surrounded by Senegal, capital Dakar. I wonder what that felt like in WW2, a small British garrison surrounded by the Vichy French ? I bet they felt pretty lonely and forgotten
