1940-11-27 Do 17Z-2
1940-11-27, Do17Z-2, 4203, Hellevoetsluis
40-11-27, Do17Z-2, 4203, 3./KG 3, Lt. H. Haid
1940-11-27, Do 17Z-2 Werk # 4203
Haid, H. Lt 3/KG-30 Do 17Z-2 Werk # 4203 (lost 11/27/40) Bomber Operational Clasp His Do 17 crashed at Hellevoetslius Holland on 27 November, 1940, cause and pilot/crew disposition unknown. (DeSwart)
3./KG 3 was stationed at St. Trond in Belgium at the time.
Do 217 Z-2, Wn 4203 of 3./KG 3 crashed west of Hellevoetsluis after "Feindflug, Absturtz mit Aufschlagbrand". Date 27 nov 1940
Ff Lt. H. Haid, buried Lommel Belgium grave 49-165
Be Lt. H. Rabe, buried Lommel Belgium grave 49-115
Bf Uffz. A. Hitzek, buried Lommel Belgium grave 49-181
Bs Gfr. H. Juling, buried Lommel Belgium grave 49-187
All crew initially buried at La Bruyere cemetery near Culot.
Reburied Lommel Block 49
Information via Bas Maathuis, Coordinator of the Loss Register of the Dutch Airwar Studygroup
3./KG3 Dornier Do17Z-2 (4203). Crashed and burned out at Hellevoetsluis following sortie, cause unknown but probably that attacked by Red Section of No.17 Squadron (P/O L.W. Stevens and Sgt J. McPhee based at; Martlesham Heath) off Felixstowe 8.38 a.m. FF Lt Hannes Haid, BO Lt Heinz Rabe, BF Uffz Alfred Hitzek, and BS Gefr Heinrich Juling all killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.
source: Peter Cornwell , Cambridge UK
From : Felixstowe War Diary:
229) Wednesday 27th November 1940, 0840 - H.E. bombs, number and size not known, dropped in sea off Orfordness. Enemy 'plane shot down by Hurricane fighter.
Police reports:
27.11.40, 0842 hours, 10 HE's dropped in sea 2 1/2miles SE of Orfordness Lighthouse, 1 mile from beach. Jettisoned by enemy aircraft. 3 RAF fighters in vicinity. Great deal of machine-gun fire heard above clouds.
Presumably these relate to the same incident.
source: BC, Felixstowe via http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/ , http://www.lowestoftaviationsociety.org
Stevens,
Leonard Walter
?
-
21.05.1941
(KIA)
[Hindhead (St. Alban) Churchyard, Sec. N.W. Joint grave M. 2-3]
Son of Ernest J. Stevens and Emily E. Stevens, of Hindhead.
RAF No. 17 Squadron was a fighter squadron that took part in the Battle of Britain, before being shipped to the Far East, just in time to take part in the retreat from Burma. At the outbreak of the Second World War, No. 17 Squadron was equipped with the Hawker Hurricane Mk I, but was not one of the Hurricane squadrons posted to France. During the phony war period, the squadron flew defensive patrols over southern England. It moved to Brittany in June 1940 to cover the final retreat of the BEF, before evacuating via the Channel Islands.
The squadron fought in the Battle of Britain, spending early September at Tangmere. It remained in the south of England until the spring of 1941, when it was moved to Scotland for a rest.
At the end of 1941 No. 17 Squadron was allocated to the Middle East, but before it could reach that theatre, war broke out in the Far East. The squadron was shiped to Burma, reaching Rangoon in January 1942. It arrived there just in time to take part in the retreat to India, eventually getting cut off at Lashio. The surviving aircraft had to be flown out, while the ground crew were forced to make their own way to safety.
New aircraft arrived in June 1942, and the squadron took part in the air defence of India. In February 1943, the squadron moved to ground attack duties, continuing until August, at which point it moved to Ceylon. In March 1944 they converted to the Supermarine Spitfire. In November 1944 they moved to the Burma front. In June 1945 they were part of the force allocated to the invasion of Malaya. After the Japanese surrender they were taken by aircraft carrier to Malaya, taking part in the re-occupation of Malaya. After the war the squadron formed part of the Commonwealth occupation forces in Japan.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/17_wwII.html
No 17 Squadron was formed on the 1st of February 1915 at Gosport for service overseas and was disbanded on the 14th of November 1919. It was re-formed on the 1st of April 1924 as a fighter Squadron at Hawkinge. They got their first Hurricanes in the June of 1939. It was involved in the heavy fighting in France and over Dunkirk.
They flew from Tangmere and were at Debden on the 13th of August 1940. They were detached to Tangmere on the 19th of August 1940, they then returned to Debden on the 2nd of September 1940. Unlike many of the Squadrons No 17 was not rested and fought all the way through the Battle of Britain and into November 1940. They were finally rested in April 1941 when they were posted to Scotland to fly convoy patrols.
http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/squadrons/17sqn.htm
Photo from: "The Battle of Britain" Author: T.C.G.James. Pag.
RAF N° 17 Squadron (N2359) YB-J Debden, summer 1940, flown by Pilot Officer L.W. Stevens.
Photo from: Hurrican squadrons part one, North West Europa and malta, author: Philip Birtles
xxxxxx
Kampfgeschwader 3
1. Lebenslauf:
Aufgestellt am 1. Mai 1939 mit Stab, II. und III. Gruppe in Heiligenbeil. Die I. Gruppe wurde am 1. März 1940 in Burg aus den beiden bestehenden Gruppen aufgestellt. Die IV. (Erg.)Gruppe wurde im März 1941 aus der Ergänzungs-Staffel des Geschwaders gebildet. Das Geschwader war mit Do 17 und anschließend mit Ju 88 ausgerüstet. Die 14. (Eis)Staffel entstand 1943/44 aus der 9. Staffel des Kampfgeschwaders 1 zur Bekämpfung des feindlichen Eisenbahnverkehrs. Die III. Gruppe wurde im Januar 1944 in I./KG 7 umgegliedert. Die Gruppe wurde durch eine neue III. Gruppe ersetzt, die im Januar 1944 aus der II./KG 51 gebildet wurde. Diese Gruppe wurde zum Einsatz mit der V1 von Westerland aus herangezogen. Im Juli 1944 wurde das Geschwader aufgelöst. Die III. Gruppe wurde erst im Herbst in die I./Kampfgeschwader 53 umbenannt.
2. Einsätze:
1939
Das Geschwader flog in derLuftflotte 1 gegen Polen und kam noch im September zur Luftflotte 3 in den Westen.
1940
Ab Mai mitder Luftflotte 3 Einsätze gegen Frankreich. Ab August dann bei der Luftflotte 2 und dem II. Fliegerkorps Einsätze gegenEngland aus dem Raum Calais.
