Date:	Sunday 11 January 1942
Time:
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb
Owner/operator:	266 (Rhodesian) Sqn RAF
Registration:	W3308
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Aircraft missing
Location:	North Sea, off Norfolk coast, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Docking, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
1942 began for 266 Sqn RAF with a series of convoy escorts. In the morning of 11 January German aircraft were active off the east coast of England. Three pilots of 266 Sqn on convoy patrol took off from Docking having heard that enemy aircraft might be expected. Near the convy thet were told of enemy aircraft approaching then saw a Ju 88 and chased it in line. Colsing to 200 yars, Plt Off Hogn Small opened fire as the enemy bomber crossed 100 yards in front of him and continued firing floowing enemy aircraft into cloud. On emerging from cloud, only two of the three pilots, Plt Off Small and Sgt Norham Lucas rejoined. They tried to call the third pilot, Flt Lt Allen John Frederick Allen-White, on R/T but without sucess. Three aircraft searched him for two hours, refuelled and searched for another one and a half hours, while air/sea rescue was informed and also searched, but no trace of Allen-White or his Spitfire Vb W3308 was found.

His Spitfire was one of the two donated by the Maharaja of Rajpipla: W3308 called ‘Rajpipla’ and W3309 called ‘Windsor Lad’. W3308 had been received by 6 MU Brize Norton on 6 June 1941 and allocated 92 Sqn the 17th of the same month. It then flew sweeps, Circus and Rhubarb operations from Biggin Hill and Sgt W.J.Payne used it to claim two Bf 109E destroyed on 24 June and another the next day. On return from later flight the same day Sgt A Pietrasiak overshot landing. The engine failed when pilot opened up. He turned sharply to avoid another aircraft, and the undercarriage collapsed. The Spitfire was sent for repairs at No 1 Civilian Repair Unit Cowley on 1 July, and was then delivered to 33 Mu Lyneham on 30 July, before being allocated to 266 Sqn at Wittering on 13 September 1941.

http://rhodesianheritage.blogspot.fr/2013_11_01_archive.html
"A Pride of Eagles: A History of the Rhodesian Air Force", by Beryl Salt. ISBN 978-1-908916-26-6
https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?128509-Maharaja-of-Rajpipla-Spitfires
"Royal Air Force Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War, vol 2. Operational Losses: Aircraft and Crews 1942-1943", by Norman L R Franks. ISBN 1-85780-075-3
"Fighter Command War Diaries Volume Three: January 1942 to June 1943", by John Foreman. ISBN 1-871187-39-7
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1082714/ALLEN-WHITE,%20ALLEN%20JOHN%20FREDERICK

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
12-Jan-2017 06:53	Laurent Rizzotti	Added
12-Jan-2017 09:03	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
27-Nov-2019 11:26	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
26-Jun-2023 17:25	Nepa	Updated [[Operator, Operator]]