DUIGAN, Sinclair Michael

Stats:

rank: P/O
status: pow
airforce: RAF    (no: 80414 )
born: United Kingdom

added by: AdeMottram

Sinclair Michael Duigan joined 145 Squadron RAF as a Sergeant pilot on 10th January 1942 from 81 Squadron which was re-equipping from Hurricanes to Spitfires.

He transferred to North Africa with 145 and was commissioned on 5th June (new service number 778581).

The ORB records that on 9.8.42 (which probably should be 10.8) there is reference to "Two Spitfires arrived, these were to be used to intercept high flying recco aircraft, and were to operate without cannons or R/T". These two, referred to as "stripped Spitfires", were sent up separately the following day to intercept a Ju 86 at 36,000ft.

There is only one interception mentioned in the ORB on 20.8.42 and this is well-described. The second Spitfire in the formation is referred to here as the "Marker" which, flown by F/Sgt EA Ker, reached 36,000ft and waved the stripped Spitfire in to engage 6,000 ft above. Sgt Duigan in the stripped Spitfire climbed to 40,000 ft, closed to with ten yards of a Ju 86 (yes, it does say ten yards; it would make sense to get close because it only has limited armament but...). The guns were frozen and only one bullet fired so Sgt Duigan tried to ram the Ju but lost height in the slipstream and returned to base.

From the ORB the Marker can be identifed as BP847. The stripped Spitfire is harder to identify; Duigan's aircraft in the list next to Ker's is BR467 but the flight times given are identical to an earlier entry in the list (there were four scrambles earlier in the day) so that is probably incorrect and that the correct serial is probably BR487.

On 3rd November the then Pilot Officer Duigan did not return from a sortie over Egypt and was reported missing. He subsequently ended up a POW at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan & Belaria. pow no 2422. The POW list has him recorded as South African. While in captivity he was promoted to F/Off in November 1942 and Flt/LT in June 1944.