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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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74
74 Squadron Spitfire Vb W3208 P/O. Wilfred Malcolm Skinner DFM

Operation: Circus 35

Date: 06th July 1941 (Sunday)

Unit: No. 74 Squadron (motto: I fear no man')

Type: Spitfire Vb

Serial: W3208

Code: ZP-U

Base: RAF Gravesend

Location: France

Pilot: P/O. Wilfred Malcolm Skinner DFM 740078 (68722) RAF Age 22. PoW No: 1623 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan

REASON FOR LOSS:

The previous day some of the squadron left RAF Gravesnd to Bigign Hill to cover fighter sweeps over France the following day.

At 12:45 hrs took off with 3 others flying Spitfire Vb W3208, shot down by Bf109 from JG26. P/O. Skinner force landed his Spitfire and remained a PoW until the end of the war.

During the day the squadron lost two other pilots:

Fl/Sgt. Leslie Raymond Carter 754236 RAFVR flying Spitfire Vb W3176 - missing - believed killed. See here for further details.

Sgt. William Guy Lockhart 112728 RAFVR flying Spitfire Vb W3317 - evaded capture, killed later, see here for further details.


Above Spitfire W3208 being guarded by German personnel

The previous year Sgt. Skinner was involved in a mid air collision. On the 30th August 1940 on a patrol when the collision took place involving Sgt. Edward Walter Gillies Churches. Sgt. Churches managed to nurse his Spitfire back to base, whilst Sgt. Skinner was forced to bale out of his Spitfire I X4022 uninjured.

Burial details:

None, he survived the war as a ace with 9 enemy aircraft destroyed. Born on 31st July 1918 in Gloucester. Retired as a Fl/Lt. DFM. DSO. He passed away on the 26th June 2003, age 84.

Citation LG 24th December 1940:
'This airman has shown great courage and determination over a long and intensive period of air operations. He has destroyed sevenenemy aircraft'.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to th National Archives Kew. AIR 27-641-13/14. Other sources as shown below.

Other pages that may interest you:

Pages regarding 1944 losses

Pages detailing to Spitfire lossess

KTY 22-01-2024

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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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