Did AG Kenneth Dunlop RNZAF shot down a Luftwaffe fighter

[phasselgren]

Hi,

The Monthly Supplementary Narrative of Operations for September 1943 has a claim for one destroyed unidentified E/A over Hanover by Stirling “O” of 15 Squadron at 21:57 hrs on the night 22nd/23rd September 1943:
“was approached by unidentified E/A. The R/G and the M/U/G immediately fired and flashes were seen on the E/A which dived steeply to the ground and burned there. The E/A is claimed as destroyed.”

If the code letter is correct this claim was made by the rear gunner Sgt Kenneth Dunlop, RNZAF (NZ416805) and mid-upper gunner Sgt E. Grover, RAF in Stirling EE974/O with pilot F/Sgt E. Moore, RAAF.

There is no surviving combat report (even though there are combat reports from other aircraft of 15 Sqn on this night) and this combat is not mentioned in the ORB. It is not unusual that code letters are wrong in the Monthly Supplementary Narrative of Operations and I am therefore trying to get a confirmation from another source that Kenneth Dunlop was involved in this claim.

Thanks in advance
Peter

[McFly]

While not directly related to the original request, I wonder if this is the 'Kenneth Dunlop' referenced?. I note that it's from 75 Sqn and not 15 Sqn, however what were his movements/postings etc..?

This reference (Link) has him posted to 15 Sqn "NZ416805. Dunlop, Plt/Off K. to 15 sqdn 25 March 44.", and his commission to Plt/Off was gazetted (No.38, pg 551 - May 1944) on the same date. So did he serve an earlier tour on 15 Sqn as a Sgt to index with the Sept 1943 date as referenced in the original post?

"Image from the No. 75 Squadron album collection. Flight Sergeant Dunlop of Auckland in his position in the rear gun turret of a No. 75 Squadron Lancaster. (ALB021131c014) [no date listed]"

(Air Force Museum Collection)

[phasselgren]

Jan 5, 2022 16:57:49 GMT 12 McFly said:

While not directly related to the original request, I wonder if this is the 'Kenneth Dunlop' referenced?. I note that it's from 75 Sqn and not 15 Sqn, however what were his movements/postings etc..?

This reference (Link) has him posted to 15 Sqn "NZ416805. Dunlop, Plt/Off K. to 15 sqdn 25 March 44.", and his commission to Plt/Off was gazetted (No.38, pg 551 - May 1944) on the same date. So did he serve an earlier tour on 15 Sqn as a Sgt to index with the Sept 1943 date as referenced in the original post?

"Image from the No. 75 Squadron album collection. Flight Sergeant Dunlop of Auckland in his position in the rear gun turret of a No. 75 Squadron Lancaster. (ALB021131c014) [no date listed]"

(Air Force Museum Collection)

Thanks for the info. I did not know that he later served with 75 Sqn.

Peter

[davidd]

Only airman by name of Dunlop known to have served operationally with 75 (NZ) Sqdn during WW2 was 1005738 Sgt Derek Frederick, RAFVR, W/Opr A/G, on operations (crew of Sgt K V D Roe, RAFVR) from 18th August till 12th September 1941 when his aircraft failed to return from operations over Germany (target Kiel). This information mainly supplied to clarify that no other man of this name served with this squadron.

David D

[fwx]

I agree with David, this Dunlop was not at 75. This is one of several photos in the AFMNZ online Collection attributed to "the No. 75 Squadron album collection", with captions suggesting that they were probably taken elsewhere.

[phasselgren]

Thanks for your replies.

I received a reply on another forum with the information I needed in an official bio of the pilot AUS414288 Edward John MOORE DFC RAAF: www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2705785?image=1

Moore was also involved in an inconclusive combat on the 25th June 1944. Still with Dunlop as air gunner. Another member of the crew was navigator F/O E. Henzel RNZAF (416326).

[pjw4118]

The Dunlop name rang a bell and the NZBC membership list for 1997 includes a J D Dunlop of Napier listed a a navigator on 166 sq.

[davidd]

Based on Errol Martn's lists in For Your Tomorrow, Vol 3, there were ten men named Dunlop who embarked in New Zealand for overseas between 1940 and 1944, to Canada and/or direct to UK.

They were, in date order (initials, date embarked, and "trade", further remarks): N D (25/7/40), W/Opr; A R (12/9/41), W/Opr; A J (20/10/41), A/Obs; A C (17/3/42), Pilot; Kenneth (11/4/42), WOAG; William (29/5/42), WOAG, although ended up as straight A/G; G R (17/5/43), Pilot, killed in UK 12/1/45; J D (4/10/43), Nav, and mentioned in pjw118's post immediately above; K B S (11/2/44), WOAG; W S (23/6/44), Pilot, never graduated in Canada, returned to NZ as LAC. The first two men were not aircrew, trained only as ground-based W/Oprs.