Date:	Monday 27 May 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia
Owner/operator:	610 (County of Chester) Sqn RAF
Registration:	L1016
MSN:	229
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Dunkerque, Pas de Calais -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Gravesend, Kent
Destination airport:

Narrative:
L1016: Spitfire Mk.Ia (c/no. 229). First Flown 14-6-39. Delivered to the RAF at 6 MU 16-6-39. Issued to 610 (County of Chester) Squadron as 'DW-Q' 4-10-39. Missing presumed shot down by Bf-110s near Dunkerque 27-5-40. Pilot killed. Struck Off Charge 1-7-40. Total Flying Hours 185.15

According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/615): "Spitfire L1016 failed to return from an operational flight over Dunkirk, France, 27 May 1940. Flying Officer A R J Medcalf: missing presumed dead".

As the situation in France worsened, 32 and 610 Squadrons were transferred from Biggin Hill to Gravesend in Kent on May 26 in readiness to defend the troops as they attempted to escape the German advance on the beachhead at Dunkirk. 610 Squadron flew into action the next day, encountering a Heinkel He 111 bomber with 40 escorting Messerschmitt Bf-110 fighters. The squadron claimed to have shot down three Messerschmitts and the Heinkel but lost two of its Spitfires, these being:

Spitfire L1016 – Flying Officer Albert Rupert John Medcalf missing, presumed killed (age 26)
Spitfire L1003– Sergeant William Thomas Medway killed.

Crew of Spitfire L1016:
Flying Officer Albert Rupert John Medcalf, RAF (AAF) 90339, age 26, posted 27/05/1940, as missing presumed dead.

As no trace of Spitfire L1016 or its pilot was ever found, the pilot is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 5)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/615: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502307
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1076672/medcalf,-albert-rupert-john/
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p002.html
5. https://scarfandgoggles.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/the-real-piece-of-cake-part-2/
6. Photo of pilot in a Spitfire May 1940: https://mediadrumworld.com/2019/05/14/battle-of-britain-heroes/
7. http://www.cieldegloire.com/sq_raf_610.php
8. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7023835/Incredible-photographs-reveal-experiences-brave-WWII-pilots.html#i-4b26afd8a73d568d
9. https://images.app.goo.gl/G91ZL2LZoRTr1SFR7

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jul-2013 05:08	JINX	Added
01-Aug-2013 20:51	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location]
09-Mar-2016 08:19	Red Dragon	Updated [Narrative]
11-Mar-2016 15:53	Red Dragon	Updated [Cn]
22-Aug-2019 18:11	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Nov-2023 14:35	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]