ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 225955
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| Date: | Monday 15 April 1940 |
| Time: | 10:37L |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 110 (Hyderabad) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L8652 |
| MSN: | VE-G |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | North Sea, off Wilhelmshaven, Heligoland area -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wattisham, Suffolk |
| Heligoland |
Blenheim IV L8752 (VE-G) of 110 Squadron, RAF: Lost on combat operations (officially "Blenheim L8652 failed to return from a reconnaissance flight over Wilhelmshaven, 15 April 1940"). Operation: Reconnaissance mission. Took off from Wattisham to reconnoitre the Heligoland area. During the course of the operation, the crew attacked an enemy patrol boat, but were shot down by return fire. One source gives the "return fire" as coming from a Bf 109 of the Luftwaffe unit 1./LG 2. All three crew posted as "missing presumed dead"
Oblt Georg Graner 3(J)/LG 2 - West of St. Peter-Ording at 10:37 (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. II - 8)
Crew
Pilot: 37866 Flt Lt Mervyn Lascelles Morris (South Africa) - Runnymede Memorial Panel 4.
Observer: 562429 Sgt Leslie Bancroft - Runnymede Memorial Panel 11.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: 546429 LAC Richard Henry Mercer - Runnymede Memorial Panel 23.
Note the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/144) gives the serial number as "L8652". In fact Blenheim L8652 was diverted before delivery to the RAF, being sent to Romania on 20 June 1939. Thus it never saw RAF service.
Checked and registration should be L8652.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James j Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 58)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/144: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14141894
3. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/wilhelmshaven-raid-110-sqdr-1939.76369/#post-821428
4. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/18.htm
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1077220/morris,-mervyn-lascelles/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1083290/bancroft,-leslie/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1076731/mercer,-richard-henry/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Jun-2019 22:12 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 12-Jun-2019 12:55 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 15-Jun-2019 21:53 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 02-Jun-2022 19:25 | Anon. | Updated [Time, Registration, Destination airport, Narrative] |
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