ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 140226
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| Date: | Friday 7 June 1940 |
| Time: | 11:20 |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 73 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L1826 |
| MSN: | TP-B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Échemines, Aube -
 France
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Échemines (F) |
| LeMans (F) |
On 6 June 1940, F/O Edgar James "Cobber" KAIN DFC, who was the RAF's top ace, was informed he would be returning to England the next day. The following morning, a group of his squadron mates gathered at the airfield at Échemines to bid him farewell as he took off in his Hurricane to fly to Le Mans to collect his kit.
Unexpectedly, Kain began a "beat-up" of the airfield, performing a series of low level aerobatics in Hurricane Mark I L1826, a Hurricane fitted with a fixed-pitch wooden propeller. He commenced a series of flick rolls to the left and on the third roll the plane lost speed at a height of about 800 feet, stalled, and spun in. The fighter hit the ground heavily in a level attitude.
Kain died when he was pitched out of the cockpit, striking the ground 27 m in front of the exploding Hurricane.
"Cobber" Kain is buried in Choloy Military Cemetery.
R.I.P.
The officer of Kain's squadron who compiled the combat reports and kept a record of his squadron's successes credits Kain with the destruction of at least 14 enemy aircraft, with several more probables.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_James_%22Cobber%22_Kain#Final_sortie
https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/25864/print
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/73_squadron.html#0506
http://www.cieldegloire.com/002_kain_e_j.php
Letter from the OC, 73 Sqdn, RAF to HQ, AASF, RAF dated 12th June, 1940.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Dec-2011 14:49 | angels one five | Added |
| 04-Dec-2011 15:06 | angels one five | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 04-Jan-2012 12:40 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 10-Jan-2012 17:54 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 12-Jan-2012 13:29 | Nepa | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 22-Jan-2012 21:09 | angels one five | Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative] |
| 22-Jan-2012 21:09 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative] |
| 26-Feb-2013 20:57 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Apr-2013 13:50 | Nepa | Updated [Operator] |
| 12-Sep-2014 05:00 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-May-2015 09:07 | Angel dot comma | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
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