Date:	Wednesday 22 May 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Owner/operator:	56 (Punjab) Sqn RAF
Registration:	N2431
MSN:	US-C
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Hesdin, Pas de Calais, Hauts de France -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Vitry-en-Artois, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I N2431 (US-C) 56 Sqaudron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return from a combat air patrol over northern France and the Belgian border. Pilot bailed out safely. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/485): "Hurricane N2431 failed to return from an operational flight in Hesdin, France, 22 May 1940. Pilot Officer B J Wicks: missing, later reported safe;".

Took off from RAF Vitry-en-Artois, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France, for a combat air patrol over the French/Belgian border. Hit by flak/AAA, and the pilot bailed out over Hesdin, near the Belgian border. (Hesdin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France at approximate Coordinates: 50°22′30″N 2°02′15″E)

During the fighting in France in May 1940 'B' Flight of 56 Squadron was sent to Vitry-en-Artois on the 16th May 1940 to support the hard-pressed RAF squadrons. P/O Wicks engaged a Hs126 on the 22nd May but was hit by ground fire and had to force-land his Hurricane N2431 behind enemy lines near the Belgian border. He managed to evade capture for ten days, making his way to Dunkirk. There he was arrested by the French on suspicion of being a German spy. Wicks was eventually passed to the British authorities and taken to England in a MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat)

He was questioned by the Admiralty and Air Ministry, his identity was established and he was allowed to rejoin his squadron. On 16th August 1940 Wicks claimed a Do17 destroyed and on the 24th a Me109. He was shot down two days later by a Me109 over Canterbury and baled out, unhurt. His Hurricane, V7340, crashed in the River Stour near Grove Ferry, Upstreet. He destroyed a Me110 on the 30th.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/485: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502187
3. Air Battle for Dunkirk: 26 May - 3 June 1940 By Norman Franks (Chapter 5)
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=7313
5. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Wicks.htm
6. http://www.56sqnfirebirds.org.uk/bobrollofhonour.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Aug-2019 23:05	Dr. John Smith	Added
04-Aug-2019 11:32	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]