ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 224027
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| Date: | Saturday 28 October 1939 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  Armstrong Whitworth Whitley B Mk II |
| Owner/operator: | 51 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K9008 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Villeneuve-les-Vertus Aerodrome, 3.4 miles NE of Vertus, Marne -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Villeneuve-les-Vertus Aerodrome, 3.4 miles NE of Vertus, Marne |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley B.Mk.II K9008 ("MH-J") of 51 Squadron, RAF. Lost on combat operations on the night of 27-28.9.39. The aircraft left Villeneuve-les-Vertus Aerodrome, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) northeast of Vertus, in the Marne department in northeastern France (at approximate Coordinates: 48°56′14″N 004°03′30″E) at the end of the day, bound for Frankfurt on a 'Nickel' (Leaflet Dropping) mission, though the crews suffered dreadfully from the effects of the cold and the airframes from severe icing.
While overflying the eastern part of France, crew encountered severe icing conditions and an engine fire. Flt Lt Wynton’s machine, with six inches of ice accreted on the wings, went into a steep dive but with an almost superhuman effort the co-pilot, Sgt Hyde, managed to coax K9008 ‘MH-J’ to a relatively soft landing in France. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, all five crewmen were unhurt.
Crew (51 Squadron):
F/O J. H. P. Wynton,
Sgt D. C. Hide,
Sgt W. Foster,
Corporal E. Short,
AC.1 A. J. Heller.
Sources:
1. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-armstrong-whitworth-aw38-whitley-iii-france-0
2. https://britainatwar.keypublishing.com/2018/11/22/feature-51-squadrons-war/
3. https://backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/whitley/25610-K90081939-10-28.html
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villeneuve-les-Vertus_Aerodrome
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Apr-2019 18:56 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 19-Apr-2019 10:34 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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