ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 227702
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| Date: | Tuesday 21 May 1940 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 15 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | R3706 |
| MSN: | LS-O |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | between Etaples and Boulogne -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire |
| RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV R3706 (LS-O) 15 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 21 May 1940 when lost (failed to return) from a combat mission. All three crew survived, although one was injured. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/459): "Blenheim L8851 [*sic] failed to return from an operational flight, 21 May 1940. Sergeant R A M Stone, Leading Aircraftman R E Hunter and Acting Flight Lieutenant P F Webster - missing, later reported to be safe"
Airborne at 14:00 hrs from RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire, to attack enemy armoured columns on the Boulogne-Etaples-Hesdin-Montreuil road. Badly damaged by small arms ground fire near Montreuil (Pas-de-Calais) and turned back towards the Channel in an attempt to crash land in Kent. Instead, crash landed in a field between Etaples and Boulogne. Although two of the crew were injured they returned safely to their Squadron on May 23 1940
Crew of Blenheim R3706
Acting Flight Lt P.F.Webster (pilot, Injured)
Sergeant R.A.M.Stone (Observer)
Leading Aircraftman R.E.Hunter (Wireless Op./Air Gunner, Injured)
All three landed in friendly territory, and returned to their unit; after hospital treatment in two cases. According to a rough translation from French into English of an account of the incident:
"R3706 piloted by Flight Lt Peter Webster met a wall of light Flak which set one of his engines on fire. A discussion commits very quickly between the three airmen. Should they try to regain altitude and jump? Or should they crash land?
Shortly after, Webster spots a field between Etaples and Boulogne and sets up his aircraft for a crash landing. When the crew evacuates the aircraft, they are shocked by finding a 40 pound bomb crushed under the tail wheel, while the rest of the projectiles was disseminated on the floor, throughout the "Slip" of the plane on the belly...According to the gunner, LAC R. Hunter: "After a time we could embark on a military ambulance en route to Boulogne. We drove all night. We have spent the day in Boulogne in a hospital where we were vaguely examined. We then learned that the last hospital ship would leave the port tomorrow (=May 23 1940)"
*NOTE: The official Air Ministry file in the incident (File AIR 81/459) lists the 15 Squadron Blenheim Mk.IV involved as "L8851" [sic]. However, Blenheim Mk.IV L8851 was one of seven 15 Squadron Blenheims lost on an operation from RAF Alconbury to destroy the strategic bridges across the Albert Kanaal, Maastricht on 12 May 1940,nine days earlier. L8851 Returned to base severely battle damaged. Declared beyond economical repair and struck off charge. The error probably stems from the fact that both incidents involved the same crew: Blenheim R3706 was issued to Stone, Webster and Hunter as a replacement for the wrecked L8851.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980 p 24)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File Air 81/459: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14501989
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=2737
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/15_squadron.html#2105
5. https://www.avions-bateaux.com/uploads/attachment/produit//produit_2431_cad8ecbc6f9b7f11b5891126dcdce0b1.pdf
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 12 May 1940 | P6912 | 15 Sqn RAF | 3 | Diepenbeek, near Genk, Limburg |  |
w/o |
| 11 June 1940 | L8851 | 15 Sqn RAF | 3 | Pont-Audemer (Eure), South bank of the River Risle, 28 km SE of le Hav | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Jul-2019 23:46 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 28-Jul-2019 23:51 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 28-Jul-2019 23:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 29-Jul-2019 11:53 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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