Date:	Friday 7 June 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	150 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5288
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Vergies, 15 km SSE of Abbeville, Somme -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Echemines, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I L5288 (JN-B) 150 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over Northern France. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/824): "Battle L5288 crashed at Vergies near Abbeville, France, 7 June 1940. Sergeant G W Clawley, Temporary Sergeant J F Atkins and Flying Officer J E Vernon: report of deaths"

Airborne from Echemines. Shot down attacking a vehicle convoy near Vergies (Somme), 15 km SSE of Abbeville, France, all three crew killed

Crew of Battle L5288:
Flying Officer (Pilot) James Edward Vernon, RAF 36145 (New Zealand), DFC, aged 24, killed in action 07/06/40
Sergeant (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Jack Frederick Atkins, RAFVR 751819, age 20, killed in action 07/06/1940
Sergeant (Observer) George W. Clawley, RAF 533480, killed in action 07/06/1940

Flying Officer James E Vernon, born Roxburgh, 21 Aug 1915; joined RAF Aug 1938; killed on air operations, 7 Jun 1940, buried, as were all three crew members, at Vergies Communal Cemetery, Somme, France

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1977 p 147-148)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/824: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502547
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/150_squadron.html#0706
5. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1012
6. http://aircrewremembered.com/vernon-james-edward.html
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2847332/vernon,-james-edward/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2847330/atkins,-jack-frederick/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2847331/clawley,-george-william/
10. Biography of James Edward Vernon: https://wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/thosewhoserved/v-ww2.php?
pagenum=5
11. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?433&p=2187#2187
12. http://39-45.auzeau.fr/france/80-somme/80-vergies/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Aug-2008 22:36	Anon.	Added
31-Jan-2012 01:17	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport]
17-Sep-2019 20:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
17-Sep-2019 20:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Damage]
17-Sep-2019 21:14	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
24-Sep-2019 12:05	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]