Beaufighter X LZ450 236 Sqdr 1944-05-20

I´m investigating the crash of Beaufighter X LZ450 of 236 Sqdr on May 20th. 1944.

Crash location given is s´Gravenzande(Scheurpolder) in the Netherlands. However there is no Scheurpolder in the region of s´Gravenzande. There was one at the Island of Rozenburg south of S´Gravenzande. Does anybody know more info that can determine the exact crash location?
I also have not been able to find information on the mission and other aircrafts that took part in the attack.
Names of the crew are: Mendousse & Hustwick

No german fighter claims of a Beaufighter is known on that day in that area so it must have been hit by Marine Flak by the ships it attacked.

Any additional info is welcome.

 

found this on other forum.. Navigator was F/O M W Hustwick, 152520, buried in Hook of Holland General Cemetery, Zuid-Holland.

http://www.livingwarbirds.com/bristol-beaufighter.php may interest you..

 

this may hold info too, ray.. [PDF]
VERLIESREGISTER 1939-1945

- [ Translate this page ]
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat
Beaufighter X. LZ450. 236 Sqdn. Capt P.Mendousse. B. T3675 44-05-20 1148 Neerbeek (L). B-17G. 42-37864 447BG/709BS. 2nd Lt C.R.Mitchell ...
www.nimh.nl/nl/images/1944%20sec_tcm5-7285.pdf -

 

raf roll of honour lists names from that date..
RAF North Coates Roll of Honour

 

Too bad I read this 2 days too late, I was in S'Gravenzande only 48 hours ago. I also visited the Hoek van Holland cemetery in 2009 and must have pictures of the graves . If you are interested I can look those up for you and post them here

 

Thanks all for he help

 

Captain(e) P L Mendousse sounds French. Can't find any reference on CWGC, so presume he was Free French Air Force. If Hustwick is in the Hoek Holland cemetery, maybe Mendousse is (or was repatriated to his home area later).

 

MENDOUSSE Pierre

Capitaine Pierre Mendousse

Born December 28, 1910 in Digne (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)

Killed May 20, 1944 (34)

Entered the military health service in Lyon in October 1930, Pierre Mendousse was appointed physician lieutenant in December 1931, then promoted to lieutenant in December 1933.

In December 1934 he presented his doctoral thesis in medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Marseille and became doctor of colonial troops in 1936 in Douala, Cameroon. When this area supports the freedom of France, doctor Mendousse promoted to captain, October 10, 1940, asks his
assignment in aviation which, while providing its medical functions, is licensed Observer February 10, 1941.

From October 1941, he participated in the Libyan campaign by making 17 bombing missions over Bristol Blenheim, with the Group "Lorraine" (it is part of the crew consists of Sergeant Langer, pilot, and Sergeant Chief Mounis, radio-gunner in the squadron Nancy) and the Coastal Defense in Egypt and Palestine. A quote from the April 12, 1943 said he had successfully attacked a submarine in August 1942.

He then learns to drive the Mixed Group Instruction in Damascus, Syria, then moved on Great Britain in November 1942 and flew until the summer of 1943 in training center. In November 1943, he completed his training as a pilot in Coastal Command Operational Training Unit 5, then was posted to 236 Squadron (Coastal Command, Bristol Beaufighter aircraft) May 9, 1944.

On 20 May, Captain Mendousse is missing during an attack on a naval convoy off the coast of Holland, 23 am to 00.

On May 22, 1944, a dinghy with the body "of a pilot shot in the head is rejected by the sea and found on the beach Nieuwenhoorn, 32 kilometers southwest of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

The only way to determine which other Beaufighters, if any, were also involved in the action which caused this loss would be to pull up 236 Sqn's ORB at Kew.

 

Link to many WWII Airplane Crashes
20-MAY-1944Bristol Beaufighter XLZ450Royal Air Force (RAF)s Gravenzandew/o

ASN Aircraft accident 20-MAY-1944 Bristol Beaufighter X LZ450

RAF Aviation Crashes and Related Incidents 1944

RAF Davidstow Moor - Crash Log 1944

 

Thanks all, I had found the same info. After investigating further with the help of local Dutch historians we determined that the crash location is wrong. No Beaufighter crashed in Rozenburg or s´Gravenzande at that date. Most probable crash site is North Sea in front of the Dutch coast.
Any additional info is much appreciated

 

South of Hoek v Holland is a lake 'Oostvoornse Meer'. In the lake have been found rests of british WOII airplane; fe aluminium plates and a browning .303 gun. 'On paper' rests of the L8866 Blenheim. The L8866 was shot mai '40 by a Messerschmidt and crashed in the Northsea in what is now the Oostvoornse Meer. The germans recovered in '40 most parts of the L8866.
The Oostvoornse Meer has a lot of historical shipwrecks in it; as underwater archeologist i'm diving on these wrecks. One of my dives i'v seen the tip of a airplane wing. Aluminium, tip lights, kind of staff and a round air intake. At that moment i thought this was a part of the L8866.
However until now i couldn't refind this object; i'm very near, but still
haven't refind it.
BUT ... at this moment, i'm very sure it is NOT the tip of a Blenheim.
What i'v found about Blenheim, there is no round air intake at the wing.
I'v seen the tip of a Beaufighter of Beaufort. Beaufighter is most likely and because of the .303 Browning, Beaufighter X. I couldn't find Beaufighter in that area reported by the germans or missed. So this is the first link. I hope to find this tip again next months and make pictures of it, so there is evidence that in the lake is a Beaufighter. It lies about 28m deep.

regards, Frank

 

Capitaine Mendouse was awarded the Legion d'Honneur, the highest French disctinction.