WW2. Spitfire Crash. Kimberley Road

Anthony Desmond Joseph Lovell. Royal Air Force

Anthony Desmond Joseph Lovell. Second from left.
RAF
Grave of Anthony Desmond Joseph Lovell. RAF
Copyright. The War Graves Photographic Project.

Wing Commander Anthony Desmond Joseph Lovell. DSO & Bar.  DFC & Bar (UK).  DFC (US).

1919.  August 9.  Ceylon.
Born.  Son of, Stuart and Clare Lovell, of Portrush, Northern Ireland.

1937.  November.
Joined the RAF on a short commission.

1938.  January.
Posted to the No. 6 Flying Training School at Netheravon, Wiltshire.

1938.   August.
Joined 41 Squadron at Catterick.

1940.  May 31.  Dunkirk.
Claimed a Heinkel III (German medium bomber).

1940.  June 1.
Claimed another Heinkel III.  (Shared kill).

1940.  July 8.
Claimed a Junkers 88. (German multi role aircraft).

1940July 28.
In combat over Dover he was attacked by Major Mölders of Jadgeschwader 51 (Luftwaffe Fighter Wing) and crash landed at Manston, Kent.  He was taken to hospital suffering with minor injuries.

1940August 15.
Claimed a Bf 110. (Messerschmitt).

1940.  September 5.  Benfleet, Essex.
He was shot down over the Thames Estuary and bailed out unhurt.  His Spitfire (R6885) crashed and burned out in Kimberley Road.

1940.  September 6.
Claimed a Bf 110.  (Messerschmitt).

1940.  September 15.
Claimed a Bf 109.  (Messerschmitt).

1940.  October 20.
Claimed a Bf 109.  (Messerschmit).

1940.  November 17.
Claimed a Bf 109.  (Messerschmitt).

1940.  November 27.
Claimed a Bf 109.  (Messerschmitt).

1941.  March 30.
Claimed a Junkers 88.

1941.  November 11.
Claimed a Junkers 88.

1942.  January 19.
Claimed a Junkers 88.

1942. 
Posted to Malta to join 603 Squadron.

1942.  July 28.  Malta.
Claimed a Junkers 88.  (Shared kill).

1942.  August 3.
603 Squadron disbanded 1435 Squadron formed.

1942.  August 13.  Malta.
Claimed a Junkers 88 and a SM 84 (Itailian Bomber).

1942.  August 14.  Malta.
Claimed a Junkers 87.  (Shared kill).

1942.  October 12.  Malta.
Claimed a Junkers 88.

1942.  December 7.  Malta.
Claimed a Junkers 88.  (Shared kill).

1942.  December 17.  Malta.
Claimed a SM 79 (Savoia-Marchetti.  Medium Bomber).

1943.  March 31.  Malta.
Appointed to lead the 244 Malta Spitfire Wing.

1944.  May 3.  Malta.
Claimed a Focke-Wulf 190 (Fighter aircraft).

1944.  May 15.  Malta.
Claimed a Focke-Wulf 190 (Fighter aircraft).

1945.  August 17.  Old Sarum, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Anthony Lovell was killed when he crashed whilst doing aerobatics  in Spitfire Mk III EN234.  He was 26 years old.

He is buried in Portrush Cemetery, Northern Ireland.




His brother, Flight Lieutenant Stuart James Lovell, of 183 Squadron, died on service on 29 January 1944.  He was 27 years of age and is buried in Brest (Kepfautras) Cemetery, France.  He is also remembered on the grave of his brother.


 

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  • My father’s fatal crash in 1945 was more likely due to mechanical malfunction.  He was unable to gain enough height on take-off to clear the low ridge at the end of the runway, and his wingtip fouled telephone wires, throwing the aircraft [a MkXII, not a Mk III] into what appeared from a distance to be a roll to starboard.

    By Giles Lovell-W.-Browne (13/03/2017)
  • Ummm… aerobatics would be better than acrobatics, perhaps?

    By Giles Lovell-W.-Browne (13/03/2017)

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