Date:	Saturday 1 June 1940
Time:	05:30 LT
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Ia
Owner/operator:	222 (Natal) Sqn RAF
Registration:	P9377
MSN:	560
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bray-Dunes Beach, 16.2 km East of Dunkerque, Pas de Calais -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hornchurch, Essex
Destination airport:

Narrative:
P9377: Spitfire Mk.Ia (c/no. 560). First Flown 26-2-40. Delivered to the RAF at 6 MU 1-3-40. Issued to 222 (Natal) Squadron 15-3-40 as "ZD-U". Damaged by Bf 109s and crash landed on Bray-Dunes Beach, 16.2 km East of Dunkerque, Pas de Calais; destroyed by pilot 1-6-40. Total Flying Hours 63.35.

According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident: "Spitfire P9377 in air operations over Dunkirk, France, 1 June 1940. Pilot Officer R A L Morant: missing, later reported safe".

Airborne from RAF Hornchurch, Essex for a combat air patrol over the Dunkirk-Calais sector. Engine damaged in combat with Bf109s of I./JG26 and Bf110s of I./ZG1 and belly-landed on beach east of Bray-Dunes 5.30 a.m. Pilot survived, uninjured, and set fire to his aircraft with a verey flare pistol, in order to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. He then made his way to Dunkirk port, and was evacuated by sea back to England.

Crew of Spitfire P9377:
Pilot Officer (pilot) Raymond A.L. Morant - survived, uninjured, returned to his unit

The reported crash location of the beach at Bray-Dunes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France, located on the Belgian border at approximate Coordinates: 51°04′18″N 2°31′42″E, and 16.2 km east of Dunkerque. It is France's northernmost commune and includes the northernmost point in all of France: mainland Europe, metropolitan France and overseas territories included.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 52)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/710: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502487
3. Air Battle for Dunkirk: 26 May - 3 June 1940 By Norman Franks
4. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p008.html
5. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=6588
6. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/222_squadron.html#0106
7. http://aircrewremembered.com/massey-sharpe-gerald.html
8. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=18668
9. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/a-wing-patrol-over-dunkirk-saturday-1st-june-1940.19865/#post-240122
10. http://www.cieldegloire.com/sq_raf_222.php

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Sep-2019 18:14	Dr. John Smith	Added
02-Sep-2019 18:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
02-Sep-2019 18:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
02-Sep-2019 18:17	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
03-Sep-2019 19:44	stehlík48	Updated [Operator]