Flight of Hurricane IIc BD940 and Sergeant L J Travis on 1941-11-22

Isle of Wight, United Kingdom

Listing Details

Date

1941-11-22

Status coordinate

No status yet

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Description

On 1941-11-22, Pilot L J Travis (Sergeant, RAF) with servicenumber 938146 flew a Hurricane IIc with serial BD940 for this duty: Dusk Scramble. His mission was not completed. Circumstances of the aircraft loss: Collided over Isle of Wight. This aircraft was a part of squadron no. 1. The location for the map is Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. Circumstances at the end of this mission for Travis: he was killed. He is commemorated at: East Leake (St. Mary) Churchyard, United Kingdom.
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Comments (1)

Dave Dunkerley

about 6 years ago
#5813

This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Sergeant-Pilot L.J. Travis was my uncle.
I never knew him, of course, being born in 1949. Have, over the years, tried to research the circumstances surrounding his death. Contacted the RAF records establishment at Innsworth (Gloucestershire), but no info forth-coming.
H.J.T. Leal's 'Battle in the Skies over the Isle of Wight' was my inspiration to search further and I was able to take photos of the crash-site near St Winifride's in Ryde, many years ago. Also visited Tangmere museum, but not a lot there, aside from 1 photo in a book which is now out of print.
However, he does warrant entries in Norman Franks' 'Number One in War & Peace' and another publication focusing on 1 Squadron's exploits in WWII.
Only today, when surfing the net, did I come across specific info on the crash circumstances: that his Wingman, Des. Perrin, crashed into him from the rear, severing Les's tailplane with his propellor!
Never been able to establish the Squadron marking of BD940. It isn't JX T. It might be JX Z (if there was one).
So that's about all I know. Finding the circumstances of the actual crash has been a crucial find.
I am resident in Loughborough (Leicestershire). The village of East Leake, where he is buried in the Churchyard and commemorated on the War Memorial, is approx 20 minutes away by road.