ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 227542
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| Date: | Sunday 19 May 1940 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 |
| Owner/operator: | 213 (Ceylon) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N2520 |
| MSN: | AK-F |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Merville, Nord department, Hauts-de-France region -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Merville, Lille, France |
Hawker Hurricane N2521 (AK-F) 213 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat air patrol on 19 May 1940. Pilot bailed out, and survived. According to the official file on the incident (File AIR 81/433): "Hurricane N2520 failed to return from an operational flight over France, 19 May 1940. Flying Officer W N Gray, missing, later reported to be safe"
The following history of 213 Squadron during May 1940 is taken from the obituary of one of its pilots, Wilf Sizer (1913-2006):
"On 8 March 1937, No 213 was reformed as a fighter squadron at Northolt with Gauntlets and moved to Yorkshire in July. In January 1938, Hurricanes began to arrive and the squadron was fully equipped by the beginning of March. On the outbreak of war, flew fighter patrols and in May 1940, sent a detachment to France to assist the hard-pressed squadrons of Air Component of the BEF for a few days, the whole squadron moving south early in June.
For the first part of the Battle of Britain, it was based in south-west England but moved to Tangmere early in September.
One of its pilots was Wilf Sizer (1920-2006). Sizer had joined No 213 Squadron during the days of the biplane fighters and had become an accomplished fighter pilot by the time the squadron was re-equipped with the Hurricane.
Within days of the German invasion of France on May 10 1940, the Hurricane squadrons of the Air Component in France had suffered heavy losses; the eight aircraft in Sizer's flight were sent to Merville as reinforcements on May 17.
He was immediately in action, and within three days he had shared in the destruction of four enemy aircraft and had damaged a fifth. On his final patrol on May 21 he was attacked and shot down by five enemy fighters, forcing him to crash land near La Panne.
He sustained facial injuries when his head hit the Hurricane's gun sight, but swam across a canal to reach friendly territory, had his wounds dressed and returned to his unit. He was back in the air two days later.
With the Germans advancing, No 213 was withdrawn to Biggin Hill, from where it flew constant patrols over the French coast during the evacuation from Dunkirk. On May 28 German fighters engaged the squadron, Sizer shooting down a Messerschmitt Bf 109."
NOTE: It is not clear if the Hurricane involved is N2520 or N2521. Most sources, including the Air Ministry file AIR 81/433 state that it was N2520; however, this Hurricane was also reported as being the "personal" aircraft of Air Vice Marshall Keith Park (Air Officer Commanding RAF 11 Group) during the Battle of Britain (June-October 1940). On the other hand, other sources report that Keith Parks' "personal" Hurricane was P3854/OK-1. Hurricane N2521 was reported to have served with 213 Squadron during May 1940, and was struck off charge on 12 June 1940. In addition, the only confirmed loss of a 213 Squadron Hurricane on 19 May 1940 was N2542, piloted by Pilot Officer L G B Stone.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1977 p 13)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/433: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502104
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=7311
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/213_squadron.html#1705
5. http://213squadronassociation.homestead.com/Secondworldwar.html#anchor_15575
6. https://live.warthunder.com/post/755836/en/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Jul-2019 17:06 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 26-Jul-2019 11:40 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 03-Nov-2019 11:01 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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