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Alfred Louis BRIAND
8th Feb 1945 - Killed (MT663)
1 burst H.A.A. hit No.3 (P/O. BRIAND), aircraft sprang glycol leak, pulled up to 6000 feet turned on back, burst into flames and crashed at G.7378. No bale out seen.
P/O A.L. BRIAND flying No.3 on one Mission was hit by the only burst of H.A.A. in the TREVISO area. Glycol streamed from his aircraft which pulled up to 6000 feet and turned on its back. Shortly, the aircraft burst into flames and went into the ground in a vertical dive. ""Dick"" Briand was not seen to bale out. No R/T. communication was effected with him and it is feared he went with his aircraft. A more determined and inspiring leader could hardly be found.
From 'Lost Planes' website
On 25 October 2008, the recovery of what remained of a Spitfire which crashed near S.Biagio di Callata in February 1945 was carried out. The operation was strongly supported by the president of the Piave Museum "Vincenzo Colognese", Mr. Diotisalvi Perin, with the collaboration of the Agmen Quadratum Historical Committee of Fusignano. The excavation revealed, in addition to much material, a well-preserved Rolls Royce Merlin 66 engine, the compressor unit, the propeller hub and the two 20 mm Hispano Suiza wing cannons. Going back to that day in 1945, eyewitnesses agree in stating that the fighter-bomber was hit by flak while with three other aircraft it was strafing a stationary railway convoy. The Spitfire crashed to the ground in flames, taking with it the pilot, whose body was subsequently buried at the Padua War Cemetery. It was possible to trace the pilot's details thanks to research we carried out at the National Archives in London. In fact, by viewing the Operational Diaries of the Commonwealth Squadrons it emerged that on 2 February 1945 the Spitfire VIII of the 145th Sqn. RAF, piloted by P/O Alfred L. Briand, was hit by flak and shot down at point G7378 which, in the corresponding English maps, coincides with an area north-east of the town of S. Biagio.
