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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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122 Squadron Crest
02.12.1942 No. 122 Squadron Spitfire IX BS350 F/O. R.L. King

Operation: Rodeo (see abbreviations)

Date: 02nd December 1942 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 122 Squadron

Type: Spitfire IX

Serial: BS350 (note)

Code: MT-Not known

Base: RAF Fairlop, Ilford, Essex

Location: Not known - believed to be over the Celtic Sea when lost

Pilot: F/O. Richard Lander King 119570 RAFVR Age 20. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Understood to have been hit by a long range fuel tank from another aircraft during a Rodeo (see abbreviations) over Ushant during the afternoon. He was seen to bale out of the Spitfire but unable to be rescued.


Does anyone recognise the others he is with? Taken during training (courtesy Pete Long)

Course 22A 58 Operational Training Unit, Grangemouth, Scotland. Front row: P/O. Smith K.J., P/O. Draper G.C., Fl/Lt. McCarthy-Jones C.C., P/O. Draper J.W.P., P/O. Hawkins J.B., P/O. Dunn P.H. Centre Row: P/O. King R.L.(1), P/O. Stevenson A.G., P/O. Winchester A.G., P/O. Ernst J.D.(2), P/O. Glenwright G.E.(3), P/O. Spretzel J.R. Rear Row: F/O. Strozak R.P.(4), P/O. Ellington P.M.A. P/O. Holmes H.C.H. P/O. Butler W.M., P/O. Falls T.M.(5), P/O. Peppler G.E., P/O. Chandler R.J., P/O. Podobinski S.(6)

(1) We are now fairly sure that this is F/O. Richard Lander King RAFVR of 122 Squadron, missing on the 2nd December 1942, (2) Fairly sure that this is P/O. Jack Douglas Ernst RCAF of 276 Squadron killed on 24th August 1942, (3) This could be F/O. George Edward Glenwright RCAF of 152 Squadron, killed 28th December 1942, (4) F/O. Strozak PAF. killed on the 20th November 1942 whilst serving with 65 Squadron, (5) Fairly sure that this is F/O. Tom Montgue Falls RCAF killed on 17th January 1943 whilst with 111 Squadron, (6) P/O. Podobinski PAF. killed on the 12th December 1943 serving with 303 Squadron. Research continues....but if you are able to add further information we would be pleased to hear from you.

(note) Built at Rolls Royce in Hucknall, fitted with the Merlin 61 engine and first flew on the 27th September 1942.

Burial details:

F/O. Richard Lander King. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 67. Son of Harry Sydney and Frances Gwendoline King, of Sutton, Surrey, England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot, with thanks to Pete Long who contacted Aircrew Remembered in November 2016 with his photo. His late partner was the niece of the pilot. Other sources as quoted below:

Pages of Outstanding Interest
History Airborne Forces •  Soviet Night Witches •  Bomber Command Memories •  Abbreviations •  Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination  •  Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis •  SOE Heroine Nancy Wake •  Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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