Looking for info on Frederick A Duquette RAF pilot 272 Squadron and other squad members

Frederick A Duquette 272 Squadron RAF/RCAF Malta
Hello, my name is Jamie Duquette. I am doing some historical research on my great uncle Frederick Albert Duquette who was a Flight Sergeant for the RAF 272 Squadron based in Malta during WW II. He also trained in various facilities in Canada in the United Kingdom before ending up in Malta. He was originally from North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

He sadly perished along with his radio observer Albert W Johnson on a return trip from Egypt crashing in the Mediterrean on May 8th, 1943 30 miles off the island’s coast in rough weather.

I am in the process of compiling an archive of official records as well as personal letters and flight logs which have surface. If anyone has any information I gladly wish to share anything I have found. I am also looking for info on the crash itself. Here is a breakdown of some events before and leading up to the event. Thank you for your time. ps. his C.O. was J.K. Buchanan and I have personal letters from him mailed to family members relating the details of the crash.

FD ARRIVED AT LUQA airport jan 16th, 1943:
(in same DC3):

1. SGT DUQUETTE AND SGT JOHNSON
2. SGT BULLEN AND SGT GLAZEBROOK (WENT ON TO SQUADRON 227 AFTER ARRIVAL)
3. SGT BROADHEAD AND SGT BRADSHAW
4. SGT WILLIAMS AND SGT WATERS

MAY 3RD, 1943 CONVOY ESCORT OPERATION (FD RETURNED SAFELY) - ASSUMED TO HAVE FLOWN
OUT OF TA KALI AIRPORT.

1. PLANE 1: GT.5085- F/O WELFARE D., P/O BELLIS D.B. (letter sent to UK 0909),
2. PLANE 2: JT.5170- S/LD COLEMAN G.B.S., SGT LYRE-HALE
3. PLANE 3: C.T.5114 P/O FRAZEE D.W., SGT SANDERY M.L
4. PLANE 4: R.X. 7759 F/S DUQUETTE F.A., SGT JOHNSON A.W. *

MAY 7TH, 1943

THREE CREWS FLEW OUT OF TA KALI AIRPORT TO FERRY BACK THREE NEW AIRCRAFT
TO B.A.R.U., M.E. ( WHERE WAS THIS?)
1. CREW ONE: S/LDR COLEMAN, SGT LYNE-HALE
2. F/O PROCTER, SGT MCINES
3. F/SGT DUQUETTE, SGT JOHNSON

ALL THREE CREWS FLEW OUT IN SAME AIRCRAFT (NUMBER AND TYPE UNKNOWN).
-

MAY 8TH 1943 (DAY OF INCIDENT)

A FORMATION OF THREE BEAUFIGHTERS LEFT EGYPT FOR TA KALI.
1. S/LDR COLEMAN WHO WAS LEADING THE FORMATION JUST MANAGED TO MAKE TA KALI
BUT OVERTURNED THE AIRCRAFT UPON LANDING.
2. F/O PROCTOR FLEW THE REMAINING AIRCRAFT OF THE FORMATION OF THREE HAD ENGINE
TROUBLE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE FLIGHT FROM EGYPT AND FORCED LANDED AT
MERSA MATRUH.
3. F/SGT DUQUETTE, SGT JOHNSON HAD TO BALE OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT (LACK OF PETROL)
BUT WERE LOST IN HEAVY SEAS 30 MILES OUT.
4. THE FOUR SPITFIRES SENT OUT TO SEARCH FOR FD AND SGT JOHNSON WERE FROM
SQUADRON 185. BOTH CREWMEN WERE SEEN BEING DRAGGED BY THEIR PARACHUTES BEFORE BEING LOST FROM SIGHT. 185 WAS RELIEVED BY OTHERS FROM 229 SQUADRON. ONLY WRECKAGE OF AIRCRAFT, EMPTY DINGHY AND OIL PATCH WERE SEEN.

 

Jamie,

Have a look here:

http://www.ww2f.com/military-servic...77-information-needed-w-cdr-j-k-buchanan.html

Someone on this very forum is looking for information on Buchanan as well. Some basic details there already and the timeline fits perfectly with the documents you have posted here.

I would suggest you obtain the book 'Desert squadron: 272 Squadron RAF' by V Houart. It came out in the late 50/early 60s and should feature this incident.

I would also obtain the "casualty file" from your great uncle's RCAF service file from the Library and Archies in Ottawa by following the instructions here:

Item Display - Second World War Service Files: Canadian Armed Forces War Dead - Library and Archives Canada

Also, J/17045 Pilot Officer Rolande Cossette, an American from Michigan, flying in the RCAF and J16374 Pilot Officer Donald Frazee were both killed on the same day. Their service files may reveal a connection to your great uncle.

Finally, 272 Squadron had to have one of the best mottos ever: Insidiantibus insidiamur, Latin for 'We ambush the ambushers'

Good luck with your search

 

I don't know if any of these are new to you, but here are a few links that may help:

You may find some information here, Canadian military aircraft links, regarding Canadian Military Aircraft - his site includes detail on the planes by their serial number.

Wings for Freedom - The History & Heritage of Canada Air Force

I hope you have already seen this CWGC :: Casualty Details regarding his listing on the Alamein Memorial. He was so young.



A Reference of the folios in the British Archives: Royal Air Force: Second World War, 1939-1945: Service Records The National Archives | The Catalogue | Research Guides

RAF - 272 Squadron

This is a link to information on his CO Buchanan and some infor on 272 Squadron Buchanan 1

A memorial page to him at the Canada At War site Memorial: Pilot Officer Frederick Albert Duquette - Canada at War

 

Gentleman thank you very much for your encouraging and helpful replies regarding my research on my great uncle Pilot Frederick A Duquette from 272 Squadron. In fact at this stage of the game, a fair bit of material has been uncovered up to now. This includes a cache of letters, flight log book, medals, pictures and documents that were thought to have been lost forever. Added to these would be contacts with the Malta Aviation museum, some uk contacts, his official service record from Archives Canada (HUGE!), internet searches and correspondence from a member of 272 Squadron David Bellis who knew, travelled and flew alongside my great uncle. His insights into that time as well as his personal photos and recollections have been incredible and I feel honored to have been able to document them and get his ‘take’ on events of so long ago in May of 1943.

Lately I have gotten in contact with the granddaughter of George Byrne Stanislaus, Flight Commander of 272 Squadron and lead flyer of his mission May 8th 1943, a relative of Donald Frazee fellow flyer, a fellow researcher on JK Buchanan C.O. of 272 in Malta and recently a possible lead on getting a photo of Sgt Lyn Hale who was GBS Coleman’s observer on that fateful flight back. (He ran out of gas too but made the island crash landing on the tarmac at Takali).

I have tried to upload compressed pdf's of the archive but have had difficulty - keep getting booted out. In the meantime if you are interested please contact me and I can provide a link to an online storage account where a higher quality pdf is available for your download and perrusal.

That being said, at this stage I would be looking for any info on the following:

1. Records of RAF Command flight plans/orders for the return flight back of May 8th, 1943 from Heliopolis Egypt to Malta and whether there was an insistence to make the flight in one go or an option to make a fuel stop. I believe these could only be found at ‘KEW’ in the UK.
2. Pictures, recollections from any family members or other scans/info on pilot AJC PROCTOR (he had engine trouble on the way back and stopped for fuel/repairs), ROLAND ADELORE COSSETTE, HILDA ELLIS (observer Williams girlfriend), FAMILY OF ALBERT W JOHNSON, WILFRED JOHN DAWSON, GBS COLEMAN, SGT LYN HALE, RON CAIRNS, OPINION: Who’s ‘CALL’ would it be to stop for fuel due to bad weather – the flight commander (in this case GBS COLEMAN) or would this have to be okayed by RAF COMMAND?

I’m sure I have some questions that will pop up. I sincerely thank you for your posts and hope that you find the archive I’ve been working on of interest.

Cheers Jamie

 

I would like to append my last message to Thank you ladies and gentlemen

 

Dear Jamie,

My father, Charles Frederick Archer, was in the RAF 272 Squadron from early 1943 until he died in a bombing training accident on May 10 1943. I have about five letters that he wrote from Malta--and North Afirca before he got there. I actually gave these letters to the Imnperial War Museum a few years ago, but I kept copies, as well as electonic copies. If you would like to see them, I could send them to you. I have a letter written on May 12 to my mother by James Buchanan, the squadron commander, about the accident.

In his letters my father mentions a man called Atkins--I don't remember any other names. There were some Canadians in the squardon. Years and years ago when I ws growing up in Toronto--although I am not Canadian--I met the father of a friend of mine who had been stationed in Malta, and actually had a photograph of him. Somewhere I have these photographs. They are so old, but I could try to scan them. (My father was an amateur photographer and a journalist before he joinied the RAF).

My brother and I are going to Malta at the end of April. I assume your uncle's name is on the RAF monument there.

That's all for now. This is the first time I have ever posted something to a site llike this.

Elayne Archer
Brooklyn, New York

 

Miss Archer, I am very happy to hear from you needless to say
I will be sending you a private message so that I can provide you with my private email address.

I very much look forward to corresponding with you.

Sincerely,

Jamie Duquette