Operation: Armed reconnaissance.

Date: 19th April 1945 (Thursday)

Unit: 421 (Red Indian) Squadron, RCAF, 127 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force

Type: Spitfire XVI

Serial No: SM242

Code: AU:?

Location: In the vicinity of Schwarzenbek, Germany

Base: B114 airfield, Diepholz, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. Alexander Graham Scott J42479 RCAF Age 19. Killed

Fg Off. Scott had a shared claim, with Fg Off. Marsden, for a damaged Fw190:

“I was flying: as Cradle Violet 4, when KENWAY vectored our section onto 4 FW.190’s at approximately 10 ml., N.E. of RETHEM, I sighted one at six o’clock - followed my number one (Violet 3) around onto his tail and my number one dived, down onto the FW.190 with myself to port and slightly astern. I saw strikes on the FW.190 from my number one. The FW.190 broke off to starboard, my number one to port, thus leaving me dead astern of the FW.190; I stayed on his tail, slowly closing - my height below 1,000 ft., the FW.190 weaving slowly, when at approx. 400 yds, I opened fire and observed strikes on under side of fuselage and black smoke pouring out. Violent evasive action took place and the FW.190 pulled away from me. I did not follow it as it was getting dark and my fuel was low.

REASON FOR LOSS:

At 13:30 hrs eight squadron aircraft took off the B114 airfield at Diepholz in Germany to carry out an armed reconnaissance of the Hagenow-Lübeck-Hamburg-Neumünster area.

Fg Off. J.V. Marsden who was flying as #3 on “B” flight reported the following:

“Fg Off. Zoball was leading "B" Flight with Fg Off. Scott as his #2 on this Armed Recce to the Hagenow-Lubeck area. Fg Off. Zoball decided to strafe the marshalling yard at Sterley (SSE of the Küchensee) and attacked it roughly out of the sun with Fg Off. Scott following him down about 600-900 yards behind. There was quite a bit of light flak (40 mm) and Fg Of. Zobell's fire hit some goods wagons probably loaded with ammunition because there was a big explosion and lots of smoke. I saw Fg Off. Zobell and then Fg Off. Scott pull up just clearing the smoke of the explosion, however Fg Off. Scott's plane was trailing white smoke (it turned out to be glycol). About a minute passed during which I lost sight of Fg Off. Scott due to cloud and then he called on the R/T saying that he was hit in the radiators and his glycol temperature was rising. He also said he was west of Sterley, losing height and would have to crash land, being at 2,000 feet and crossing the Elbe-Trave Canal. That was all he said so we approximate his landing position as in the vicinity of Schwarzenbek.”

Note: Schwarzenbek is some 25 km SW of Sterley.

The circumstances leading to Fg Off. Scott’s death have not been established. However, an investigation file held at The National Archives in Kew relates to an Erich Beginnen, who was accused of killing Flying Officer A.G. Scott (RCAF) at Woltersdorf on 19th April 1945. There were two named witnesses to the killing but there does not appear to be any evidence that Beginnen was brought before a court.

Note: Woltersdorf is some 12½ km NE of Schwarzenbek.

Burial details:

Fg Off. Scott was initially buried in an isolated grave at Woltersdorf, Germany and reinterred on the 11th June 1947 at the Hamburg (Ohlsdorf) Cemetery, Germany.

Above: Fg Off. Scott, left from his service file, right credit: The War Graves Photographic project

Fg Off. Alexander Graham Scott. Hamburg (Ohlsdorf) Cemetery, Plot 10A Row O Grave 9. Inscription reads: "OUR HEARTS EVER CHERISH HIM IN FOND REMEMBRANCE AND ARE HUMBLE WITHIN US". Born 21st April 1925 in Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Ontario. Son of Arthur Alexander and Clarissa Donalda (née Hemming) Scott of Westmount, Quebec, Canada.

Researched by Ralph Snape and Traugott Vitz for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with additional thanks to Traugott for his work on the ‘VitzArchive’.