Date:	Saturday 11 May 1940
Time:	16:55 LT
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	53 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L9459
MSN:	PZ-C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Borlez, Faimes, Waremme, Liège -   Belgium
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Poix-de-Picardie, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9459 (PZ-C) of 53 Squadron, RAF: Lost on combat operations - officially described as "Blenheim L9459 failed to return from a photographic survey, 11 May 1940. Sergeant J W Christie, Aircraftman 2nd Class R W Bence and Flying Officer A D Panton prisoners of war".

Took off from Poix-de-Picardie, France. Forced-landed and burned out near Borlez, Faimes, Waremme, province of Liège, Wallonia during photo-reconnaissance sortie over Belgium. Possibly the aircraft claimed as shot down by Lt Braxator of 3./JG1 in a BF 109 near Overijse, at 16.55 hrs on this day. All three crew survived, but one was captured and taken as a PoW

Crew of Blenheim L9459:
Flying Officer Alistair D. Panton (Pilot) - wounded, evacuated to England for treatment
Sgt W.A. Christie (Observer) - wounded, evacuated to England for treatment
AC.2 R.W "Benny" Bence (Wireless Op/Air Gunner) - wounded, later captured, and taken as PoW

AC.2 Bence was severely wounded. His leg was amputated and he was later taken Prisoner of War later in June 1940 after the fall of France, when the hospital in was overrun by enemy forces. He was taken to Stalag Luft XII but was was repatriated to England 29/10/1943 and seems to have returned to his previous pre-war civil employment at the Reading Gas Company.

The crash location of Borlez (in Walloon Borlé ) is a section of the Belgian municipality of Faimes, Waremme, located in the Walloon Region in the province of Liège, at approximate co ordinates 50°38' North, 5°14'East.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 62)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/262: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142087
3. Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/53_squadron.html
5. https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Blenheim/RAF-53Sqn-PZ.html
6. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ww2-raf-bef-france-casualty-group-736794329
7. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borlez

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
20-Jun-2019 22:05	Dr. John Smith	Added
21-Jun-2019 10:52	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
26-Jun-2022 02:16	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]