Date:	Thursday 6 June 1940
Time:	10:00 LT
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	40 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L8827
MSN:	BL-R
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, Dieppe, Seine-Maritime department, Normandy -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire
Destination airport:	RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire

Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L8827 (BL-R) 40 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over France. All three crew survived, but were captured, and taken as PoWs. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/797): "Blenheim L8827 shot down near Abbeville, France, 7 June 1940. Sergeant V C Salvage, Sergeant T A Foreman and Squadron Leader B Paddon: prisoners of war".

Airborne from RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire to attack enemy troop columns along the Weygand Line between Abbeville and St. Valery-sur-Somme, France. Shot down by Bf 109 - possibly the one piloted by Oblt Rowher of 1./JG 3 - at approximately 10:00am local time. Aircraft reportedly came down at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, Dieppe, Seine-Maritime department, Normandy.

40 Squadron lost five aircraft in this operation: P4927, R3692, L8827, L9410 and L9417, However only three crew - all the crew of L9410 - were lost. As stated above, all three crew of Blenheim L8827 survived, bailed out, but were captured and became PoWs.

Crew of Blenheim L8827:
Squadron Leader Brian Paddon (PIlot, RAF 28097); captured and became a PoW (No.805)
Sgt V.C. Salvage (Observer, RAF 580529); captured and became a PoW at Camps 8B/L1/8B (again)/L3/L6/357
Sgt T.A. Foreman (Wireless Op./Ai Gunner, RAF 625686); captured and became a PoW at Camps L1/L6/357

Squadron Leader Brian Paddon was first to be sent for interrogation at the transit camp of Dulag luft, he was then sent to Oflag IX-A/H at Spangenberg, before shortly afterwards leaving for Stalag Luft I at Barth, arriving there on 12 July 1940. After several escape attempts from various camps, he was sent to Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle, arriving there on 14 May 1941 with three other officers, including Airey Neave.

After several more attempts to escape, on 11 June 1942, he was sent to a Court-martial at Stalag XX-A for insulting a German officer during one of his previous escape attempts. However, he managed to escape from his cell, and with the aid of other British Prisoners of War, left the camp with a work party, slipped away and travelled to Danzig (now Gdansk, in Poland). He stowed away on a Swedish ship and successfully reached neutral Sweden on 18 June 1942. From Sweden, he made his way back to England.

Squadron Leader Brian Paddon was awarded the DSO for his 'home run' (a successful escape and return to his unit) on 6 August 1942.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 59)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/797: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502468
3. Chorley, W R. (1998). RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Vol 1 – 1939/1940. Midland Publishing. ISBN 0904597857. Page 72.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Paddon
5. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/40_squadron.html#0606
6. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=6226
7. https://www.militaryimages.net/media/brian-paddon.129277/
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Valery-en-Caux

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
18-Jun-2019 18:07	Dr. John Smith	Added
21-Jun-2019 10:46	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
10-Sep-2019 20:45	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Sep-2019 20:46	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]