AW297

Aircraft Type: Beaufort II

Unit: 39 Sqn RAF

Source: "A history of the Mediterranean War 1940-45, Vol 2. North Africa" by Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello.

There was to be a third assault on the Italian force, for 12 Beauforts of 39 Squadron had set out from LG.05 (near Sidi Barrani) shortly after sunrise. They were led by their commanding officer, Wg Cdr Mason, in DD951, and were to be homed to the area of action by a Maryland of 203 Squadron. Two Beaufighters of 272 Squadron from Gambut accompanied them as a rather inadequate escort. Spread out in four vics of three, line abreast, the Beauforts - mainly more powerful Mark IIs but led by the CO in an older, slower Mark I - were nearing the limit of their search range without seeing any sign of their quarry, when splashes were noticed in the distance. Believing them to be bomb explosions, the formation headed in that direction but Mason had been misled. The splashes were a result of long-range fuel tanks being jettisoned into the sea by five Bf 109s of 9./JG 53, which were on their way to Athens/Eleusis airfield in Greece. The Messerschmitt pilots had spotted what they believed to be 15 Beauforts and Beaufighters heading for Malta and now swept in behind the formation diagonally from the south-east. By all reports they approached with initial caution. The first the torpedo-bomber crews knew of their presence was when the Beaufort at the far left of the formation, Flt/Lt C.S.Thomas' AW352, broke in half behind the dorsal turret, the front section of the aircraft plunging into the sea in flames. The remaining aircraft dived for the sea, their throttles wide open. The Messerschmitts followed, 'hosepiping' their fire at the torpedo-carriers and within seconds AW297, positioned on the right and flown by Plt/Off James Abram, a former Sunderland* pilot on his first torpedo operation, crashed into the water.

*Not too sure where the reference to James Abram being a former Sunderland pilot crept in - it seems unlikely that he would have had the time to be in a different squadron between leaving OTU and joining 39 squadron and equally unlikely that he would still have the crew from OTU with him.

Crew:

ABRAM, JAMES (100576) RAFVR - age 19

EDGE, HUGH GREGORY (1014445) RAFVR - age 26

BURROUGHS, NORMAN ARTHUR (1379231) RAFVR - age 21

FOX, FREDERICK GEORGE (1268096) RAFVR - age 21