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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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238 Squadron Crest
13.08.1940 No 238 Squadron Hurricane I P3177 Sgt. Henry 'Tony' Marsh

Operation: Patrol

Date: 13th August 1940 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 238 Squadron

Type: Hurricane I

Serial: P3177

Base: RAF Middle Wallop

Location: English Channel off Portland

Pilot: Sgt. ’Tony’ Henry Anthony James Marsh 562584 RAF Age 27. Missing

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a patrol on Adlerangriff (1) (Eagle Day) whilst undertaking the protection of Naval bases he came under  attack from Bf109’s - at 16.30 hrs it is understood that he was shot down, crashing into the channel of Portland. Neither he or his aircraft were recovered.

He had claimed a He111 destroyed on the 11th August 2 miles east of Weymouth at 10.35 hrs. (shared with Sgt. E.S. Bann) Also a Bf109 on the day he was lost, at 12.15 hrs off Portland.

Right: Sgt. ’Tony’ Marsh missing on 13th August 1940.

238 Squadron lost 2 other aircraft this day:

Hurricane I P3764 Flown by Sgt. E.W. Seaborne was shot down earlier in the day at 07.30 hrs. He was badly burned but rescued by a Royal Navy destroyer.
Hurricane I P3805 Flown by 22 year old Sgt. Ron Little 754893 RAFVR from Armathwaite, Cumberland, was hit but managed to crash land his aircraft at Bredy Farm, near Burton Bradstock. He survived this encounter uninjured. Sadly he went missing the following month on the 28th September flying Hurricane N2400 over the English Channel at 14.45 hrs.

(1) Adlerangriff (Eagle Day) was the day that Goring announced that the Luftwaffe would attack and put out of action the RAF fighter stations in preparation for an amphibious assault of Britain (Operation Sealion) On this day, waves of strong attacks at different times over a ten-hour period came in against Essex and Kent, Sussex and Hampshire. These attacks were seen as the initial strikes.

Burial Details: 

Sgt. ’Tony’ Henry Anthony James Marsh. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 17. Son of Capt. H. Marsh, R.A.S.C., and of Agnes Marsh, of Merton Park, Surrey, England.


Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Jayne Smith for bringing this loss to our attention via our guestbook page. Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses' Vol. 1-3, ‘Battle of Britain database’. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Winston G. Ramsey - 'Battle of Britain Then and Now'. John Foreman RAF ‘Fighter Command Victory Claims’.


Right: The Runnymede memorial panel at Runnymede (courtesy Jayne Smith)

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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 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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