Date:	Thursday 23 May 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Hawker Hurricane Mk 1
Owner/operator:	32 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P3550
MSN:	GZ-Z
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Arras, Pas de Calais -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Merville, Lille, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I P3550 (GZ-Z) 32 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat air patrol over the area of Arras, Pas de Calais on 23 May 1940. Pilot bailed out, wounded, but survived, and managed to eventually rejoin his unit. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/514): "Hurricane P3550 crashed near Ypres, Belgium, 23 May 1940. Sergeant Garratt Leofric Nowell - missing presumed dead".

Just minutes before he was shot down, Sgt G L Nowell claimed to have shot down a Bf-109 in air to air combat over the area of Lille, firing a four-second machine gun burst at 300-200 yards, and he was then shot down by another Bf-109 in the same battle.

Note that the official report that Hurricane P3550 crashed "near Ypres, Belgium", and that the pilot was "missing presumed dead" is not in accordance with subsequent (albeit unofficial) reports that the pilot landed safely, although wounded, at Arras, Pas De Calais. Despite suffering from burns, and a bullet wound in the right arm, he made his way back to England via Calais, and by 1 June 1940, he was recovering from his injuries at Pindarfields Hospital in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. He was awarded the DFM (Distinguished Flying Medal) on 4 June 1940 (while still officially listed as "missing in action, presumed dead"(sic)). His recovery from his injuries took time, and he did not return to service until late 1942.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 21
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/514: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502135
3. Hurricane Squadron Ace: The Story of Battle of Britain Ace, Air Commodore Peter Brothers CBE DSO DFC* (page 41) By Nick Thomas
4. Air Battle for Dunkirk: 26 May - 3 June 1940 By Norman Franks
5. Norman L.R. Franks, Fighter Command Losses, Vol 1, 1939-1941, Second edition, Midland, 2008 p 31
6. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=772
7. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/32_squadron.html#2305

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Aug-2019 18:31	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Aug-2019 18:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
09-Aug-2019 05:54	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]