ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 141350
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 17 May 1940 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L8830 |
| MSN: | UX-T |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | La Capelle, Aisne department in Hauts-de-France, north east of Laon -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Watton, Norfolk |
| RAF Watton, Norfolk |
On 17th May, 1940, twelve aircraft of 82 Squadron, based at Watton, in Norfolk, took off to attack troop concentrations at Gembloux, Belgium, where the German army was sweeping West towards the Channel ports.
They were supposed to have a Hurricane fighter escort but they were intercepted before the escort could arrive and they had to proceed without their escorts. As they reached their target, 15 German Bf-109 fighters attacked them.
Eleven of them were shot down and the sole survivor (L8858, UX-W), badly damaged, managed to reach Watton, but it was written off due to the damage sustained.
Blenheim L8830 was airborne at 04:50 hrs from RAF Watton, Norfolk. Hit by Flak and abandoned; all three crew bailed out by parachute and survived. Sgt Fulbrook managed to evade capture and later returned to his unit. His two comrades were both taken into captivity, Flying Officer R J McConnell having been injured
Crew of Blenheim L8830:
Flying Officer R.J. McConnell; survived but injured, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in Camps 9AH/L3, as PoW No.410.
Sgt S.J. Fulbrook; survived, evaded capture, returned to his unit
LAC H. Humphreys; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in Camps L1/L6/357, as PoW No.57
The crash location of La Capelle is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France, at approximate Coordinates: 49°58′41″N 3°55′02″E. It is 16 km from the Belgian border, hence some reports that this Blenheim had crashed in Belgium.
Note that the official Air Ministry file on the incident gives the serial number of this Blenheim as "P8830" [sic]. However P8830 was a serial allocated to an Airspeed Oxford Mk.I of 2 FTS.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000- L9999 (James J Halley Air Britain, 1978 p 59)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/391: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502278
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=7304
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/82_squadron.html
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Capelle
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 10 July 1940 | L9468 | 107 Sqn RAF | 3 | Aigneville, 18 miles south-west of Abbeville, Somme Department. | |
w/o |
| 29 July 1940 | R3619 | 82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF | 1 | De Waard Farm, Cocksdorp, Texel, Noord-Holland |  |
w/o |
| 28 May 1941 | V6457 | 82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF | 3 | North Sea 130 km NW of Texel, Noord-Holland | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Jan-2012 09:42 | Uli Elch | Added |
| 02-Jan-2012 09:49 | Uli Elch | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Country] |
| 02-Jan-2012 09:54 | Uli Elch | Updated [Departure airport] |
| 16-Jul-2019 01:59 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Jul-2019 19:33 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Jul-2019 13:39 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 29-Jul-2019 00:08 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator] |
| 29-Jul-2019 11:52 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation