ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 228521
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| Date: | Wednesday 29 May 1940 |
| Time: | 23:00 LT |
| Type: |  Armstrong Whitworth Whitley B Mk V |
| Owner/operator: | 77 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N1432 |
| MSN: | AWA.1586 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Airon Saint Vaast, 2.5 km SW of Campigneulles-les-Grandes -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire |
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.V N1432 (KN-R) 77 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) for combat operations on the night of 28-29 May 1940. All five crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/650): "Whitley N1432 crashed near Campigneulles-les-Grandes, France, 28/29 May 1940. Sergeant C H Butler, Sergeant K C Chatfield, Sergeant L J Brooks, Sergeant A Fryer and Flying Officer T J Geach - report of deaths".
Airborne at 20:27 on the evening of 28 May 1940 from RAF Driffield, North Yorkshire. Target: Hirson. Crashed, with one engine on fire, killing the entire crew, cause unknown, at 23:00 hrs, and aircraft exploded on impact. Crash location reported as the Culbute Rang-du-Fliers road, near Airon Saint Vaast, 2.5 km south west of Campigneuelles-les-Grades (Pas-de-calais) 5 km SW of Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.
As stated above, all five crew were killed. They were initially buried close to the crash site, and were later exhumed and re-buried in 1943 at Campigneulles-les-Grandes Churchyard, Pas de Calais, France
Crew of Whitley N1432:
Sergeant (Pilot) Leonard John Brooks, RAF 742103, age 23, killed in action 28/05/1940
Sergeant (Observer) Charles Herbert Butler, RAF 745989, killed in action 28/05/1940
Sergeant (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Kenneth Charles Chatfield, RAF 630838, age 18, killed in action 28/05/1940
Sergeant (Air Gunner) Arthur Fryer, age 20, RAF 626227, killed in action 28/05/1940
Flying Officer (Pilot) Trevor James Geach, RAF 33311, age 22, killed in action 28/05/1940
The reported crash location of Airon-Saint-Vaast is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France, some 19 miles (30 km) south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, at approximate Coordinates: 50°25′56″N 1°40′05″E
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Brtiain, 1977 p 8
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File Air 81/650: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502233
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=233
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/77_squadron.html#282905
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2279036/brooks,-leonard-john/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2279037/butler,-charles-herbert/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2279038/chatfield,-kenneth-charles/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2279039/fryer,-arthur/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2279040/geach,-trevor-james/
10. https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/archive/recup/region/campigneulles-les-grandes-le-jour-ou-en-1940-un-avion-ia36b49123n2463657
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Aug-2019 01:11 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 26-Aug-2019 01:18 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Narrative] |
| 27-Aug-2019 06:41 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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