I want to now more about the claim of HW MC LEOD of 443 SQN on 19/4/44 in Belgium. He claimed near Tirlemont/lEUVEN a DO 217. Other sources tell it was a Messerschmitt Me 110?
Who nows more?
Thanks
André
Some information on Wally here.
1942
with 411 Squadron, RCAF, at Digby: April 15 — “Got two damaged — FW190 and 109F” while escorting bombers to Desvres.
May 1 — “FW190 damaged — stepped up to probable” on
“rodeo”over Cape Griz Nez.
(with 603 Squadron, Takali, Malta)
June 6 — “tailplane and wing shot up — damaged 1/4 Cant 1007”
June 23 — on scramble, “destroyed Macchi 202 damaged Macchi 202”
July 5 — scramble. Me109F damaged.
July 6 — “Ju-88 probable — both motors smoking — rear gunners killed.”
July 13 — Scramble. “Damaged Macchi 202” but his own aircraft was “shot up in oil cooler and crash landed Hal Far — dead motor”
July 17 — Scramble. “Destroyed 109F — a/c blew up — threw my dingy (sic) to pilot. Pilot died in motor launch. Got his Mae West.”
With 1435 Squadron, Luqa
July 24 — Scramble. Me109 probable.
Aug. 8 — Scramble against 18-plus raiders. Me109Fdestroyed, but his No. 2 (wingman) was lost.
Aug. 10 — Me-109F destroyed
Aug. 13 — Me-109F damaged on a convoy patrol.
Aug. 14 — Ju-88 damaged.
Aug. 27 — “Damaged coastal steamer”
Aug. 29 — Me-109F destroyed
Sept. 26 — Me-109F destroyed on a sweep over Sicily
Oct. 11– in a scramble against “55+” raiders, he claimed two109Fs
damaged. On a dusk scramble the same day, he claimed two Ju88s destroyed, adding this note: “Shot up — crashlanded in dark — dead prop.”
Oct. 12 — Me-109F destroyed Oct. 13 — during another raid by “50+” bogies, he claimed a Macchi 202 destroyed.
Oct. 14 — another “50+” scramble. “Ju 88 damaged shot up — Ju88 destroyed with one cannon — No. 2 shot down”.
Oct. 16–This time, a “70+” scramble: “Me109F damaged –shot up –No. 2 shot down. In a second, 50+ scramble, he claimed an Me-109F destroyed
Oct. 22 — Macchi 202 destroyed
1943
(no operational flying)
1944
443 Squadron, RCAF
April 19 — destroyed a Do217 on a “ranger” in the Louvain area.
May 5 — destroyed a FW-190 on a “ramrod” to the Lille-Mons area.
May 20 — “3 MET” (mechanized enemy transport) destroyed in the Cambrai Bouvaine area.
June 2 — 2 MET damaged in the Bruges/Ghent area
June 14 — Do217 destroyed while escorting Lancasters in the Le Havre area.
June 16 — Me109G destroyed in a sweep of the Normandy beachhead area.
McLeod’s own aircraft was hit by flak.
June 23 — 2 FW-190s destroyed in the Argentan area
June 24 — 3 MET strafed in the same area
June 30 — 6 MET destroyed in the Liseaux area
July 20 — FW190 destroyed “pilot bailed out before I could open fire!” during an armed recce of the Bernay/Laigle area.
July 30 — Me109G destroyed during a squadron patrol of the Argentane/Laigle/Dreux area.
This above account, prepared from McLeod’s own logbook, a photocopy of which is held by the author, adds up to 20 destroyed and four probables. Dan McCaffery’s book on Canadian fighter aces gives McLeod 22 kills and Hugh Halliday’s book The Tumbling Sky credits him with 19 kills, one probable and 9.5 damaged, although Halliday acknowledges the scantiness of records in Malta. Halliday’s chapter on McLeod is far superior to that of McCaffery, which errs (by a full year) in the date of McLeod’s enlistment in the RCAF and fails to mention McLeod’s one-year stint at Bagotville.
Update from Greg Forsyth…
On April 19, while escorting a Marauder formation to bomb Malines, S/L McLeod scored the squadron’s first kill and his fourteenth personal kill. His combat report, the first of more than 60 filed by pilots of 443 Squadron, read: “I was flying White 3 on the starboard side of Ramrod 753. When proceeding east of Louvain at zero feet, my number two (F/L Russel) reported a Do. 217 at three o’clock, same level. White 1 (W/C Johnson) told me to attack. I cut in behind the Do. 217 firing a four second burst from 300 to 100 yards from dead astern. Many strikes were observed: large pieces flew off and the starboard engine burst into flames. I broke under him to avoid the debris, as my windscreen was covered with his oil. He pulled up sharply to starboard several hundred feet and then spun in, exploding in flames. My engine had cut, so I returned to base with White 4. I claim one Do. 217 destroyed. Rounds fired 79 cannon, 200 machinegun.”
RCAF No. 443 Squadron 