Date:	Saturday 25 May 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Owner/operator:	1 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P2880
MSN:	JX-D
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Between Laon and Anglure, Vertus-Plaine Champenoise, Épernay, Marne -   France
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Anglure,Vertus-Plaine Champenoise, Épernay, Marne
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I P2880 (JX-D) 1 Squadron, RAF: Written off (presumed destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from combat air patrol on 25 May 1940 over Chauny and Laon. Pilot survived, bailed out. but was captured and taken as a PoW. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/598): "Flight Lieutenant D S Thom: prisoner of war; Hurricane P2880 lost in air operations, 25 May 1940"

Two patrols of five aircraft covered the line Bergeres to Brienne from 05.50 hours to 08.50 hours, and Le Chateau from 10.00 to 11.00 hours and saw nothing. A protection patrol for a french reconnaissance aircraft was carried out from 15.00 hours to 15.25 hours on the line Chauny to Laon at 16,000 feet, which was as high as cloud would permit, no enemy aircraft were seen, but three aircraft were hit by very accurate AAA fire, which was continuous during the whole patrol.

Flying Officer Thom was seen to break away from the formation with smoke or petrol pouring from his aircraft, and he was last seen heading North into enemy-occupied territory. Two other aircraft were holed by fragments of shrapnel. The patrol had been ordered for 45 mins. But after 25 mins. two of the formation, those who had been doing the 'cross-over' were on reserve, and the Flight was brought back to base. Hurricane P2880 force landed, flak damaged, and on fire, between Laon and Anglure, Vertus-Plaine Champenoise, Épernay, Marne

Crew of Hurricane P2880:
Flight Lieutenant D S Thom, shot down, bailed out, survived, captured and taken as a PoW

Flying Officer D S Thom had been posted to No 1 Squadron on the 5th of May 1940. His promotion to Flight Lieutenant took place shortly afterwards, but several unofficial published sources still list him under his former rank. The reported crash location of Anglure is a commune in the Vertus-Plaine Champenoise, Épernay, Marne department, Grand Est in northeastern France at approximate Coordinates: 48°35′09″N 3°48′54″E.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 16)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/598: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502290
3. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/1_squadron.html#2505
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=7330
5. Norman L.R. Franks, Fighter Command Losses, Vol 1, 1939-1941, Second edition, Midland, 2008
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglure

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Aug-2008 23:37	Anon.	Added
04-Jan-2012 12:34	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Narrative]
04-Jan-2012 12:35	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type]
19-Aug-2019 00:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Country, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
19-Aug-2019 01:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
19-Aug-2019 17:55	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]