Leonard Elmer "Len" Fitchett

25 April 1944 - Fitchett & A.C. Hardy pose with their Mossie after being "downed" by friendly fire (another Mosquito from another unit - the CO apologized) on their return from destroying a Ju52.

Home in Victoria; Enlisted in Vancouver, 30 March 1942. Trained at No.4 ITS (graduated 24 October 1942), No.5 EFTS (graduated 28 December 1942) and No.7 SFTS (graduated 30 April 1943). Joined 409 Sq. Unit not identified in AFRO, which says only "Overseas". Joined the Israeli Air Force through John McElroy Shot down by ground fire 20 Oct 1948 * 3 man crew of Beaufighter subsequently killed by Egyptians Buried next to George Beurling in Israel

* - "On the morning of October 19th, D.171 was sent to assist the Israeli Navy in battles against Egyptian naval vessels when it encountered an Egyptian Hawker Fury flown by Abd Al-Hamid Abu Zayd, commander of Egypt's 2nd squadron. Aware that the Beaufighter stood little chance in a dogfight, the pilot, Len Fitchett, jettisoned his bomb load and put his bomber into a dive low over the water. Followed by the Egyptian, Fitchett abruptly pulled up, just in time to see the Fury crash into the sea. The same day saw a Beaufighter bombing the Egyptian stronghold of Iraq-Suidan.
On the next day, October 20th, two Beaufighters again took off from Ramat David to assist Israeli forces in fighting around Iraq-Suidan.
The lead aircraft, manned by Leonard Fitchett (Ignoring orders, Fitchett made a second pass at the target and suffered a hit in the port engine), Dov Shugerman and Stanley Andrews, was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in Egyptian controlled territory, all three survived but were captured, murdered and mutilated by Egyptian troops. When Israeli forces finally gained control of the crash site, only Fitchett's body was recovered. D.170, the downed Beaufighter, was not found for decades and only in November 1994 was it unearthed from the sands of southern Israel, its remains found in a construction site. What small parts of it that remain are today displayed in the IAF museum at Hazterim."   
- info from this page on Israeli bombers and this page on Stan Andrews

24/25 Sept 1944 24/25 Apr 1945

one He111 one Ju52/3m

destroyed destroyed

MM589 (Maastricht) MM588 (Konigsburg)

19 October 1948     one Sea Fury    destroyed     D170  (no shots fired)
S/L Muhammad Abd al Hamid Abu Zaid, commanding officer of 2 Sqn REAF KIA