On 12th August 1941 this Hurricane was flying in cloud with another of the same training unit when both aircraft flew into a rock face on Slight Side, Scafell. It appeared that the pilots were unaware of their position whilst flying in cloud, the lead aircraft (V7742) descended and struck the mountain, this aircraft was flying in formation and followed the leader and crashed close by. Both pilots were killed instantly. V6565 did not catch fire on crashing and this information, combined with it being built by Gloster and not Hawker identifies both crash sites. A memorial was erected at the site of V6565 some years ago but the weather took its toll on the original and it was replaced in more recent years. Both memorials are shown below and are a fitting tribute to both airmen killed many miles from their occupied homeland.
Pilot - P/O Zygmund Hohne PAF (P/0975), aged 24, buried Castletown Cemetery, Sunderland.
Zygmund Hohne was born on 20th December 1916. I am attempting to trace his flying. On 27th August 1941 he was posted from 145 Squadron to 306 Squadron. He is buried in the large RAF plot in Sunderland.
The original memorial at the crash site
The new memorial at the crash site.
The remains of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine.
Much of the wreckage of this aircraft appears collected together near the memorial.
One stainless steel piece with a "G" Gloster makers mark confirming this aircraft to be V6565 as V7742 was built by Hawker's.