ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 227746
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| Date: | Wednesday 22 May 1940 |
| Time: | 18:15 LT |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 110 (Hyderabad) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L8761 |
| MSN: | VE-J |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Loison-sur-Crequoise, 11 Km E of Montreuil, Pas de Calais -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wattisham, Suffolk |
| RAF Wattisham, Suffolk |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV (VE-J) L8761, 110 Squadron RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat sortie on 22 May 1940. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/477): "Blenheim L8754 [*sic] crashed at Loison, Pas de Calais, France 22 May 1940. Sergeant K F Quarrington, Leading Aircraftman C S Torrance and Acting Squadron Leader G F Hall - report of deaths".
58 Blenheims (plus 1 on reconnaissance) attacked German troops advancing to the northern French coast (Operation: Henschel). Blenheim L8761 was airborne at 16:15 hours on 22 May 1940 from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk. Six 110 Squadron aircraft are sent to bomb an anti-aircraft battery near St. Pol. The first four aircraft are able to identify and bomb the target but the other two, unsure that the target is the enemy, do not bomb. Blenheim L8761 was shot down by Flak/AAA near Loison-sur-Crequoise, 11 Km East of Montreuil, Pas de Calais, France, though the crew are buried in the Eastern Cemetery, Boulogne (Pas-de-Calais).
Crew of Blenheim L8761:
Squadron Leader (Pilot) George Freeman Hall, RAF 37350, age 26, killed in action 22/05/1940
Sergeant (Observer) Kenneth Frederick Quarrington, RAF 580810, age 19, killed in action 22/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Charles Scott Torrance, RAFVR 759298, age 18, killed in action 22/05/1940.
Airborne at 16:18 hrs on the same day, Flying Officer G. O. Lings and his crew of Sergeant Martin and Aircraftman Bingham return to Wattisham but crash land in Blenheim N6207/VE-G with their undercarriage shot away.
*Note that the official Air Ministry file on this incident seems to confuse Blenheim L8761 (which crashed as per the above) with Blenheim L8754 (which crashed near Amsterdam on 20 June 1940 - which see).
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 59)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/477: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502179
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1930
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/110_squadron.html#2205
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2278466/hall,-george-freeman/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2278522/quarrington,-kenneth-frederick/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2278556/torrance,-charles-scott/
8. https://www.aerosteles.net/stelefr-loisoncrequoise-blenheim
9.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Jul-2019 22:59 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 31-Jul-2019 08:15 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 17-Sep-2019 15:54 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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