Date:	Friday 14 June 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	142 Sqn RAF
Registration:	N2180?
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Dreux, Eure-et-Loire -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Villiersfaux, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I (serial unknown - possibly N2180) 142 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations. All three crew survived, but were captured and taken as PoWs. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/949): "Battle aircraft crashed near Dreux, France, 14 June 1940. Leading Aircraftman T Greenall and Sergeant D J Holliday: injured and prisoners of war. Sergeant D A Whiting: prisoner of war".

Since no Serial Number is recorded, due, undoubtedly to the chaotic conditions that prevailed during the Fall of France, it is not possible to be 100% accurate about the identity of this aircraft, or the other two 142 Squadron Fairey Battles that were lost on this day. Any records that were created - presuming that they were created in the first place - were destroyed when the squadron evacuated from France back to England

Airborne from Villiersfaux to attack a Panzer column reported refuelling in the Forêt de Gault. Shot down by intense ground fire (Flak/AAA). Crew subsequently reported to be in enemy hands

Crew of Battle N2180(?)
Sergeant D J Holliday (Pilot) RAF 565717; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camp 357, as PoW No.520.
Sergeant D A Whiting (Observer) RAF 581047: survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camp 357 as PoW No. 20096
Leading Aircraftman T Greenal (Wireless Op./Air Gunner); survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camp 357, as PoW No.16123. (Ended the war as a Warrant Officer - promoted while in captivity)

Little is known about the operational history of Fairey Battle N2180; it was delivered to 9 MU RAF Cosford on 04/05/1939, and from there issued to the AASF (Allied Air Strike Force) on 09/05/1940. The only other entry on the aircraft's record card (Air Ministry Form AM.78) is "presumed abandoned in France June 1940"

The reported crash location of Dreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France, at approximate Coordinates: 48°44′14″N 1°21′59″E

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977 p
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/949: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502581
3. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p 163)
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/142_squadron.html#1406
5. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=6233
6. https://www.flightglobal.com/FlightPDFArchive/1940/1940%20-%201922.PDF
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreux .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Aug-2008 10:17	Anon.	Added
31-Jan-2012 01:31	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport]
30-Sep-2019 13:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
30-Sep-2019 14:56	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
30-Sep-2019 15:45	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Source]
02-Oct-2019 09:19	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]