Kunz, James Jonathan
Killed in Action 1943-07-14
Birth Date: 1920
Born:
Son of Philip and Carolina Kunz, of Sandwith, Saskatchewan.
Home: Sandwith, Saskatchewan
Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: Unknown
Service
RCAF
Unit
296 Sqn- Squadron
Base
Rank
Warrant Officer 2nd Class
Position
Warrant Officer 2nd Class
Service Numbers
R/115568
First Burial
Warrant Officer Class Ii Navigator Kunz Was Buried Near The Railway Station At Passo Martino
Canadian Virtual War MemorialArmstrong Whitworth Albemarle
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Author Bellamy W (F/O) Royal Air Force official photographer
Armstrong Whitworth AW.41 Albemarle ST Mark I series 2, P1475, of No. 511 Squadron RAF based at Lyneham, Wiltshire, in flight. One of six Mark I aircraft modified to "˜Lyneham Standard' transport configuration and used by 'C' Flight of the Squadron on the UK-Gibraltar-Algiers route.
The Armstrong Whitworth AW 41 Albemarle was a twin-engine transport aircraft developed by the British aircraft manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth and primarily produced by A.W. Hawksley Ltd, a subsidiary of the Gloster Aircraft Company. It was one of many aircraft which entered service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.
The Albemarle had been originally designed as a medium bomber to fulfil Specification B.9/38; however, military planners decided to deemphasis the bomber role in favour of aerial reconnaissance and transport missions, leading to the aircraft being extensively redesigned mid-development. Performing its maiden flight on 20 March 1940, its entry to service was delayed by the redesign effort, thus the first RAF squadron to operate the Albemarle, No. 295 at RAF Harwell, did not receive the type in quantity until January 1943. As a consequence of superior bombers, such as the Vickers Wellington, having arrived in quantity, all plans for using the Albemarle as a bomber were abandoned.
Instead, the Albemarle was used by RAF squadrons primarily for general and special transport duties, paratroop transport and glider towing, in addition to other secondary duties. Albemarle squadrons participated in Normandy and the assault on Arnhem during Operation Market Garden. While the Albemarle remained in service throughout the conflict, the final examples in RAF service were withdrawn less than a year after the war's end. During October 1942, the Soviet Air Force also opted to order 200 aircraft; of these, only a handful of Albemarles were delivered to the Soviets prior to the Soviet government deciding to suspend deliveries in May 1943, and later cancelling the order in favour of procuring the American Douglas C-47 Skytrain instead.Wikipedia
Wikipedia Albermarle Transport
Armstrong Whitworth Albermarle
Harold A Skaarup Web Page