Date:	Friday 17 May 1940
Time:	06:30
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF
Registration:	P4904
MSN:	UX-B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Lappion (Aisne), 25 km ENE Laon, Hauts-de-France -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Watton, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV P4904 (UX-B) of 82 (United Provinces) Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) on combat operations (Target: Gembloux, Belgium). Two of the three crew were killed, one evaded capture, and returned to his unit. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/401): "Blenheim P4904 shot down near Lappion, France, 17 May 1940. Sergeant D J Lees and Leading Aircraftman K G Reed, report of deaths. Sergeant T J Watkins - uninjured".

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. Blenheim P4904 (UX-B) was airborne at 04:50 hrs from RAF Watton, Norfolk. One of the 12 Blenheims lost by 82 Squadron on this operation.

They were supposed to have a Hurricane fighter escort but they were intercepted before the escort arrived, 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 (Blenheim Mk.IV P8858, UX-W), which was badly damaged, managed to reach RAF Watton, Norfolk, but it was written off due to the damage sustained.

Crew:
Sgt (Obs.) David John LEES (565583) RAF - killed
LAC2 (Wop/AG) Kenneth Gordon REED ( 552567) RAF - killed
Sgt L.H. WATKINS (pilot) RAF Evaded capture, returned to his unit 01/06/1940.

The reported crash location of Lappion is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France, at approximate Coordinates: 49°36′29″N 3°57′50″E

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 26)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/401: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502072
3. The Squadron That Died Twice - The story of No. 82 Squadron RAF by By Gordon Thorburn
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689434/lees,-david-john/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689510/reed,-kenneth-gordon
6. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=943
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lappion
8. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/82_squadron.html#1705

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

27 February 1940

P4842

82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF

3

Elbe Estuary, off Scharhörn

w/o

Own research

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Jan-2012 10:22	Uli Elch	Added
08-Apr-2017 14:32	pietrzak	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Photo, ]
30-Jul-2017 15:55	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
06-Jan-2018 14:55	XindelX	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator]
26-Sep-2018 07:52	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
17-Jul-2019 18:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
01-Jan-2021 13:10	Investig	Updated [Destination airport, Narrative, Operator]