Date:	Monday 24 June 1940
Time:	13:15 LT
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk I
Owner/operator:	39 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L4920
MSN:	XZ-B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Kabribahar, 95 km north-east of Hargeisa -   Somalia
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Sheikh Othman, Aden (now Yemen)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim Mk.I L4920 (XZ-B) 39 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over Somaliland (now Somalia). Two of the three crew survived, uninjured, one believed to have died of his injuries after walking away from the wrecked Blenheim and going missing. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/981): "Blenheim L4920 force landed at Kabribahar, Somaliland, 26 June 1940. Leading Aircraftman R Olley: report of death. Sergeant R G D Ellis and Pilot Officer D G Hunter: uninjured

Damaged by CR.42 in raid on Diredawe, force landed at Kabribahar, Somaliland (now Somalia). Note that the CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission) gives the date of death of Sgt Olley as June 29 1940. However, the 39 squadron ORB (Operations Record Book - Air Ministry Form 540) confirms that the incident took place on June 24 1940:

"Four Blenheims of 39 Squadron and two of 11 Squadron attacked Diredawa airfield in two vics of three. Sergente Maggiore Antonio Giardinà of 410 Squadriglia was already up in his CR 32Q and damaged a bomber that was also attacked by two additional CR 42s (perhaps of 413 Squadriglia) that had scrambled in the meantime. The plane was seen losing height but was not seen to fall. This Blenheim was claimed (as a damaged) by Sergente Maggiore Antonio Giardinà

The plane was in fact obliged to force-land in Somaliland later because of the damage suffered and was found there by a British Army patrol. The pilot was wounded and the gunner was missing

According to an Italian source (roughly translated in English):

"Around midday on 24 June 1940, four Blenheims of 39 Squadron (take-off from Sheikh Othman at 11:15) and two of 11 Squadron in two flights of three approached Diredawa for the fifth raid on this airfield. Sergente Maggiore Giardinà was up on a standing patrol in his CR.32. He dived out of the sun on the leading flight and attacked them very effectively, all three bombers being damaged. He was seen by his unit commander to pass over the area in pursuit of the bombers, one of which was trailing white smoke and another appeared to be losing oil. Blenheim L4920 flown by Pilot Officer D. G. Hunter of 39 Squadron began to lag behind with one engine stopped, but Giardinà's guns now jammed and he was forced to retire.

Meanwhile, Tenente Luciano Cacciavillani of the 413a Squadriglia and another CR.32 had scrambled, and continued to attack on Pilot Officer Hunter's aircraft. It was seen losing height steadily and was later found by British troops force-landed 95 km north-east of Hargeisa in Somaliland. Hunter and his observer, Sergeant R. G. D. Ellis, were both injured but were assisted by Somalis to reach Allied ground forces, while 23-year-old Leading Aircraftsman Reginald Olley (wireless operator/air gunner) (RAF no. 520817), who had gone to seek assistance were missing.

Tenente Cacciavillani declared three Blenheim spotted and one destroyed in his logbook, his mission lasting from 12:40 to 13:25.

Crew:
Pilot Officer D. Hunter (Pilot) - injured
Sgt R. Ellis (Observer) - uninjured
Sergeant [Wireless Op/Air Gunner] Reginald Olley, RAF 520817, age 23, posted 29/06/1940, as missing. Possibly died 24/06/1940, see above. Commemorated on the El Alamein Memorial in Egypt, as his body was not found or recovered.

Pilot Officer Hunter and Sgt Ellis were rescued by Somali Field Force; LAC R. Olley died of his injuries at an unknown date between 24th and 29 June 1940; the latter date was the date when he was "given up for lost" and his death was presumed.

The reported crash location of Kabribahar, 95 km north-east of Hargeisa is now known as Kebri Dahar (Somali: Qabridahare) and is now a city in the eastern part of Ethiopia known as the Ogaden. Located in the Korahe Zone of the Somali Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of 6°44′N 44°16′E and an elevation of 493 meters above sea level.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 31)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/981: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502432
3. Graham Warner - 'The Bristol Blenheim A complete History',
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/39_squadron.html#2906
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1282075/olley,-reginald/
6. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=12286
7. http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_giardina.htm
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebri_Dahar
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheikh_Othman .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Mar-2008 06:47	JINX	Added
15-Dec-2014 17:08	Jixon	Updated [Operator, Phase, Narrative]
09-Oct-2018 04:44	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
02-Oct-2019 23:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
03-Oct-2019 16:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]