Back PURKIS John Barrie
Service Number 158700 (1388276)
P/O 24th Sept. 1943. (Gazette Issue 36248 published on the 12 November 1943. Page 7 of 12)
F/O 24th Mar. 1944. (Gazette Issue 36467 published on the 11 April 1944. Page 3 of 6)
F/Lt 24th Sept. 1945. (Gazette Issue 37323 published on the 23 October 1945. Page 5 of 8)
DFC 1st September, 1944. (Gazette Issue 36682 published on the 29 August 1944. Page 2 of 6)
Date A/C Crew Duty Up Down Details of Sortie or Flight
03-Aug-43 P.6979 Sgt J.B. Purkis Shipping Recco 11:25 12:35 Channel Islands shipping lanes were thoroughly searched from a height of 20-100 feet.
04-Aug-43 P.6979 Sgt J.B. Purkis Armed Shipping Recco 11:38 13:05 Long shipping recco W. of Ushant and as far as Cap Chevre, 10 miles south of Brest. This time, however, no ships were found
11-Aug-43 P.6979 Sgt J.B. Purkis 10 Group Roadstead 74 14:34 16:05 7 E. Boats reported in the estuary of Aber Vrach.  Battle of Aber Vrach
13-Aug-43 P.7111 Sgt J.B. Purkis Armed Shipping Recco 06:45 07:50 The Whirlibombers swept swept the familiar Channel Island shipping lanes without success
17-Aug-43 P.6971 Sgt J.B. Purkis 10 Group Ramrod 08:50 10:00 It was intended to divebomb Brest Guipavas. Aborted in 10/10 cloud
31-Aug-43 P.6979 Sgt J.B. Purkis Convoy 10:25 11:45 Convoy, West of Portland.
31-Aug-43 P.6979 Sgt J.B. Purkis Convoy 12:40 14:10 Convoy, West of Portland.
08-Sep-43 P.6979 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Operation Starkey 17:07 17:42 Divebombing of Naval and Flak heavy guns at Hardelot
09-Sep-43 P.6979 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Operation Starkey 08:00 09:05 Divebombing of Naval and Flak heavy guns at Hardelot
11-Sep-43 P.6999 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Convoy Patrols 13:10 14:40 Convoy moving westward from Portland.
18-Sep-43 P.6990 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Night Ranger Operation 01:28 03:10 Chatanooga Choo-Choo. Briefed to bomb Ponthou Viaduct. Bombed line S.W of Morlaix.
04-Oct-43 P.7111 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Armed Recco 11:40 12:12 Abortive armed recco for two Hun destroyers reported lurking in Lenardrieux Estuary
14-Oct-43 P.6979 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Night Recco 21:29 23:03 Night searches (Without bombs) for the Munsterland. Warmwell – Sept Iles – Iles de Batz – Predannack.
23-Oct-43 P.6997 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Ship Recco 08:00 09:00 The Munsterland was not found between Casquets and Barfleur. It is though that this will be found to be the last time in the history of the world in which twelve Whirlwinds were airborne together.
28-Oct-43 P.7111 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Ramrod Operation 14:30 15:25 These eight a/c dive-bombed the Munsterland in No 5 dry dock Cherbourg
09-Nov-43 P.7108 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Night Shipping Recco 21:07 22:32 Both sorties from Predannack and both sorties uneventful.
10-Nov-43 P.6997 F/Sgt J.B. Purkis Night shipping strike 10:32 00:07 S/Ldr Baker attacked small trawler 50-75 tons SSE of Hurn