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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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222 Squadron Crest
01.06.1940 No. 222 Squadron Spitfire I P9339 ZD-J P/O. Massey-Sharpe

Operation: Wing Patrol

Date: 01st June 1940 (Saturday)

Unit: No. 222 Squadron

Type: Spitfire I

Serial: P9339

Code: ZD-J

Base: RAF Hornchurch, Essex

Location: Bouquehault, France

Pilot: P/O. Gerald Massey-Sharpe 41857 RAF Age 19. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

It is thought possible that he collided head on at 05:30 hrs with Oblt. J. Möller of 2./ZG1 in his Bf110c, killing the English pilot. The German crew baled out and were captured. (some reports state that he crashed at Pihen-lès-Guines - so both locations marked on map)

During the same operation the squadron lost 4 aircraft, the others:

Spitfire I P9377 Flown by P/O. R.A.L. Morant - belly landed on the beach, set fire to his aircraft - escaped by sea.
Spitfire I N3232 Flown by 23 year old, Sgt. Leslie James White 522656 from Staffordshire, England, killed after being shot down.
Spitfire I P9317 Flown by P/O. H.E.L. Falkus 41004 RAF shot down and taken PoW No. 2256 at Stalag Luft Sagan.

Above: On wing P/O. Massey-Sharpe with P/O. John William Broadhurst in the cockpit.

(1) On the 07th October 1940, 23 year old, P/O. Broadhurst 41898 RAF was shot down flying Spitfire P9469. He baled out over Longhurst, but was sadly found dead.

Burial details:

P/O. Gerald Massey Sharpe. Pihen-Les-Guines War Cemetery. Grave 2.G.12. Son of Major Massey-Sharpe, formerly of RASC, and of Dorothy Sharpe, of West Kensington, London, England. Grave inscription reads: "Gerald".

Others mentioned within this page:

P/O. John William Broadhurst. Hornchurch Cemetery. Section A. Grave 1339. Son of Sam and Charlotte Annie Broadhurst and husband of Edith Lilian Broadhurst, of Bexley, Kent. Grave inscription reads: "Love's Last Gift, Remembrance".

Sgt. Leslie James White. Coxyde Military Cemetery, Grave V1.F.1. Son of Edwin and Marjorie T. White, of May Bank, Staffordshire, England. Grave inscription reads: "At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning We Will Remember Him Always".

Researched and submitted by Michel Beckers - photographs from Michel's collection. Page dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to sources as quoted below:

MB - 02.01.2018

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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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