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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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263 squadron crest
12.06.1941 No. 263 Squadron Whirlwind I P7045 F/O. Ferdinand

Operation: Patrol                      

Date: 12th June 1941

Unit:: 263 Squadron

Type: Westland Whirlwind I

Serial: P7045  

Coded: HE-?                  

Location: R.A.F. Filton, Bristol.                  

Pilot: F/O. Roy Frederick Ferdinand  80817 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Stalled and crashed on approach to R.A.F. Filton airfield. Aircraft caught fire after impact. Reason unknown.

                     

Westland Whirlwind I (Flight photo)

           

F/O. Roy Ferdinand and his Identity card

                     

Wikipedia: The Westland Whirlwind was the first cannon-armed fighter for the RAF, first flown in October 1938 and at the production stage by 1940. It was a twin engined heavy fighter (also able to function as a fighter bomber with 500 lb bombload. With 4 × 20mm Hispano cannon in the nose, it was more powerful than an 8-gunned fighter like the Spitfire or Hurricane. It was fast, matching the current Spitfire’s maximum speed, but performed best at low altitude and was used for convoy escort and against small targets in the channel and northern France. Only 114 were produced (compared with over 20,000 Spitfires)

                

Grave at Chesham Bois Burial Ground – Badly corroded, but inscription shown on right

Burial Details:

F/O. Roy frederick Ferdinand. Chesham Bois Burial Ground, Sec O. Grave 912. Son of Frederick Horace and Winifred Helena Ferdinand, of Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire, England.

Also buried at Chesham Bois Burial Ground is P.O. John Musgrave from 185 Squadron.

With thanks to the Battle of Britain London Monument for the grave inscription. The C.W.G.C., Aircrew Remembered Archive.

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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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