On 1943-06-17, Pilot K P Marshall (Flying Officer, RAF) with an unknown servicenumber, flew a Spitfire IX with serial BS474 for this duty: Rodeo. His mission was not completed. Circumstances of the aircraft loss: Damaged. This aircraft was a part of squadron no. 403. The location for the map is the English Channel. Circumstances at the end of this mission for Marshall: he died, but circumstances of death are unknown. There is no commemoration location known.
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Thursday 17 June, 1943
It was 5/10ths cloud and very windy today. Rodeo 231: W/C Johnson led the Wing whose role was Third Fighter Sweep. They crossed Dover at 15,000 feet and entered France at Gravelines at 24,000 feet. Thirty plus enemy aircraft were sighted West of Ypres. The W/C took 421 down onto these enemy a/c and 403 Squadron followed down to act as cover. After the first attack, 421 Squadron climbed back to reform and Yellow 3, F/O Marshall identified S/L Archer of 421 Squadron as the a/c that was flying along side him at this time. They were flying at about 21,000 feet when Yellow 3 noticed 2 FW 190s closing in on this 421 Squadron a/c and he was about to call for a break when he himself was hit, forcing him to break to the port and up rapidly. No more was seen of S/L Archer. F/S Shouldice, who at this time saw a FW 190 attack Yellow 3, fired Cannon and MG at him from 200 yards before his own section was attacked by five or six enemy aircraft and so F/S Shouldice broke to the port without observing any results of his fire. P/O Bullick of 421 Squadron saw a FW 190 with bits flying off it, streaming black smoke and going straight down. Since no other attack was made at this time by any other pilot of the Wing, F/S Shouldice is credited with destroying this FW 190. Blue Section, led by F/L MacDonald, came out of France at Sangette at about 16,000 feet while the rest of 403 Squadron turned back into France at Cap Gris Nez to allow Yellow 3 and 4 to catch up before they all returned to England, crossing between Dover and Folkstone. At 1605 hours, eleven of our aircraft landed back at base, while F/O Marshall, Yellow 3, landed at Redhill. He was uninjured but the a/c was damaged by enemy action and was a Cat B. There was heavy flak, accurate for height and position, from St. Omer and also some flak thrown up from Gravelines. The Sections were as follows:
Blue Section Red Section Yellow Section
F/L MacDonald S/L Godefroy F/L Conrad
P/O Sheppard Sgt Small P/O Hamilton P/O Bowen F/O McKay F/O Marshall
F/O Brannagan WO Hargraves F/S Shouldice
There were only two non-operational sorties today.
You can find this info at the following websites
Ken Pollard Marshall survived the war and was my brother-in-law’s father. You can hear him talk of the war at the following website.
Mark Langridge
Port Elgin, Ontario
Canada
