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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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Fighter Command crest

Operation: Target Towing

Date: 23rd August 1943 (Monday)

Unit: No. 1676 Flight

Type: Spitfire Vc

Serial: JK515

Code: -

Base: North Front/Gibraltar

Location: Alboran Sea East of Gibraltar

Pilot: F/O. Reginald Henry William Harris 139517 RAFVR Age 23. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Engine cut out so the pilot ditched the aircraft in area shown. Sadly the body of the pilot was never knowingly recovered and he is remembered on the Malta Memorial.

Spitfire Vc JK515 was built at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory and delivered to 45 Maintenance Unit on the 01st February 1943. Carried on the Harmatris to Gibraltar on the 10th March 1943. Delivered to 1676 Flight on the 26th April 1943. Fitted with the Merlin M46 Engine.

Burial details:

F/O. Reginald Henry William Harris. Malta Memorial. Panel 6, Column 2. Born Apr-May-June 1920 in Bromley, Greater London. Promoted to Flying Officer on the 16th July 1943. Son of Frederick James and Frances Elizabeth (née Graves) Harris of Bromley, Chiselhurst, London. Husband to Lydia Winifred Elizabeth (née Adams) Harris.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Ralph Snape for next of kin details and to Brenda Danculovich for pilot photo. Her mother had been married to Reginald, London Gazette supplement, RAF Commands Forum, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 15-03-2021

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Acknowledgements
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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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