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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
30.11.1941 No 245 Squadron Hurricane IIC BD953 Sgt. H.L. Saundercock

Operation: Training

Date: 30th November 1941 (Sunday)

Unit: No. 245 Squadron (10 Group)

Type: Hurricane IIC

Serial: BD953

Code: MR-?

Base: RAF Chilbolton, Hampshire

Location: Greens Farm, Downend, Berkshire

Pilot: Sgt. Henry Lindsay Saundercock NZ/405326 RNZAF Age 23. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a formation practice in cloud and Havoc night-fighter co-operation training took off at 15:00 hrs but an hour later control was apparently lost whilst flying in cloud. The Hurricane dived into the ground at Greens Farm, Downend killing the pilot.

Burial details:

Sgt. Henry Lindsay Saundercock. Brookwood Military Cemetery. Grave 2.B.9. Son of Henry William and Minnie Saundercock, of Waikari, Canterbury, New Zealand. 219 Flying hours logged

The family also lost another son later in the War. 28 year old, Fl/Sgt. Charles Little Saundercock NX/404949 RNZAF - 25/26th May 1943: Missing believed killed whilst serving with 90 Squadron on Stirling III EH876 WP-J shot down by a night fighter flown by the ace, Fw. Heinz Vinke of II./NJG1 off the Dutch coast with the loss of all 8 crew. Sadly, his body was never recovered, remembered on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey, England. Panel 199.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

KTY - 26.11.2017

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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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