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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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21 crest
19th October 1943 21 Squadron Mosquito FB.VI HP852 Fl/Sgt. Cornfoot

Operation: Training

Date: 19th October 1943 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 21 Squadron (motto: Viribus vincimus - 'By strength we conquer') 2 Group. Tactical Air Force

Type: Mosquito FB.VI

Serial: HP852

Code: YH-?

Base: RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk

Location: Irish Sea

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Radford Claude Cornfoot NZ/414964 RNZAF Age 23. Missing - believed killed

Nav: F/O. John Allan Mackinnon J/13793 RCAF Age 25. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off just after 10:50 hrs as one of six on cross country exercise taking place throughout the day.

Failed to return and thought to have come down somewhere in the Irish Sea. No bodies were recovered.

487 and 21 squadron were both converting to the Mosquito at RAF Sculthorpe at this time.

Burial and personal details:

Fl/Sgt. Radford Claude Cornfoot. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 198. Born on the 18th September 1920 at Wellington. Worked as a clerk for Todd Motors prior to service. Enlisted at Levin on the 07th September 1941. Awarded his pilots badge and promoted to sergeant on the 24th April 1942. Son of Peter Uru and Mary Ann Cornfoot (née Boarden), of Wellington, New Zealand. 578 flying hour logged and on his 05th operational sortie.

F/O. John Allan Mackinnon. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 174. Born on the 11th February 1918 at Brae, Prince Edward Island. Enlisted on the 06th June 1941 at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Son of Harry L. and Lillian MacKinnon, of Coleman, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, AWMM, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 11-03-2021

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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 Captain 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', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, 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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