ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 16296
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| Date: | Tuesday 11 June 1940 |
| Time: | morning |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 113 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L4823 |
| MSN: | VA-R |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 7 km East of El Adem -
 Libya
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF El Adem, Libya |
| RAF El Adem, Libya |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.I L4823 (VA-R) 113 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over Libya. All three crew survived, although injured. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/866): "Blenheim L4823 captured at El Adem, Libya, 11 June 1940. Leading Aircraftman J Dobson, Sergeant H J Owen and Pilot Officer D A Beauclair: prisoners of war".
Note that sources differ was to whether Blenheim L4823 was on charge with 113 Squadron or 203 Squadron at the time of its loss. At dawn on 11 June 1940 Blenheim Bombers of 45, 55, and 113 squadrons made an early morning bombing and straffing attack on the Italian airfield at El Adem. Libya. Sgt Shelton states: 'Several aircraft on the ground were bombed and the ground crew machine-gunned'. Three aircraft failed to return one of which was 113 squadron L4823 MkIV. 'All the other 113 sqdn aircraft returned safely except for holes caused by shrapnel'. The attack was repeated later that day and 18 enemy aircraft in total were destroyed on the ground
Shot down by CR.32 (most probably of Tenente Bissoli) in flames.
Crew:
All badly burned, walked for eight hours before being captured by Italian Marine post east of Tobruk.
Pilot Officer D. Beauclair RAF; survived, injured, captured, and taken as PoW by the Italians
Sergeant H.J. Owen RAF; survived, injured, captured, and taken as PoW by the Italians
Leading Aircraftman J Dobson RAF; survived, injured, captured, and taken as PoW by the Italians
On the very same day as the incident 11/06/40 AC.2 Sgt Bernard Shelton (B Flight) records in his diary the following: 'We lost one machine the crew being P/O Beauclair, Sgt Owen and L.A.C. Dobson. Their aircraft landed in flames behind the enemy lines, but all escaped injury. We have since learned that they walked all day towards our lines but were captured. They are now lodged in a hotel at Ben Ghazi.'
LAC Corp Norman Say (A Flight) records in his memoirs the following excerpt; "In the early days in the desert there was a certain amount of decency between the opposing air forces. The Italians would drop letters from prisoners of war for their families and the identity tags of airmen who had been killed and we reciprocated. It was this way that we learnt of the death of the aircrew of the first plane we lost." This is incorrect in this particular incident, but Corp Say could have meant First aircraft we lost 'resulting in the' crews deaths in which case he was likely talking of the June 29 raid two weeks later, when two crews were lost.
The following is an excerpt of the incident from an Italian perspective (roughly translated into English):
"Two hours later, at around 07:00 seven more CR.32s scrambled to meet another attack directed on El Adem. Six of the aircraft were from the 94a Squadriglia (Capitano Franco Lavelli, Tenente Giovanni Tadini, Sergente Maggiore Alessandro Ruzzene, Sergente Maggiore Billi, Sergente Maggiore Arturo Cardano and Sergente Maggiore Trento Cecchi while the seventh was from the 92a Squadriglia (CO Martino Zannier). The Italian pilots had a slight height advantage over the seven Blenheims and this made it possible to intercept. The Fiat pilots claimed two bombers shot down (one into the sea and one from which the crew was seen to bale out) and four damaged, all shared among the seven pilots. Zannier returned at 07:40 with the engine on his fighter damaged and having expended 500 rounds of ammunition. The pilots of the 94a Squadriglia landed five minutes later, having spent 3770 rounds of ammunition"
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 31)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/866: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502512
3. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/113_squadron.html#1106
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?14326-No-113-Squadron-June-1940-(Mersa-Matruh)&styleid=3
5. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1513311
6. http://113squadron.com/id21.htm
7. http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_ruzzene.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Mar-2008 22:06 | JINX | Added |
| 15-Dec-2014 18:55 | Paix | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 09-Oct-2018 18:56 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 23-Sep-2019 19:59 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Sep-2019 20:00 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-Sep-2019 12:14 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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