Date:	Tuesday 14 May 1940
Time:	15:40 LT
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	103 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5516
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Le Chemin du Liry, north-west of Remilly-Aillicourt, Ardennes -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Betheniville, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I L5516 (PM-E) 103 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) on combat operations 14 May 1940. Both crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/344): "Battle L5516 failed to return from a raid near Mouzon, south east of Sedan, France, 14 May 1940. Aircraftman 1st Class J Johnson and Pilot Officer V A Cunningham: missing presumed dead".

At 15:30 eight Battles of 103 Squadron, RAF took off from Betheniville, France to bomb bridges in the Sedan area, where they encountered fierce flak and fighter opposition, and three aircraft were lost. (Battles L5190, L5516 and P2191). The Battle of Pilot Officer Vernon A Cunningham (L5516) received a direct hit from intense flak during attack on bridge north-west of Remilly-Aillicourt and exploded over Le Chemin du Liry at 3.40 p.m. Both crew were killed, probably instantaneously. Photographs of the wreckage (see link #4) show only the rear fuselage survived intact.

Crew of Battle L5516:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Vernon Allan Cunningmam, RAF 36212 (New Zealander), age 24, killed in action 14/05/1940
Aircraftman 1st Class (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Joseph Johnson, RAF 617968, age 20, killed in action 14/05/1940

Both crew fatalities were buried at Remilly-et-Aillicourt Communal Cemetery, Ardennes, France

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J .Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/344; https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502338
4. https://www.northlincsweb.net/103Sqn/html/103_squadron_-_op_sedan_bridges_-_14-05-40_-_p-o_vernon_a_cunnin.html
5. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=217
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689739/cunningham,-vernon-allan/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689740/johnson,-joseph/
8. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=125343&postcount=1
9. http://39-45.auzeau.fr/france/08-ardennes/08-remilly-aillicourt/
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remilly-Aillicourt

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jul-2019 23:22	Dr. John Smith	Added
07-Jul-2019 23:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
08-Jul-2019 05:49	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]