ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 228717
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| Date: | Saturday 1 June 1940 |
| Time: | morning |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia |
| Owner/operator: | 41 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N3107 |
| MSN: | 377 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Dunkerque, Pas de Calais, Hauts de France -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hornchurch, Essex |
N3107: Spitfire Mk.Ia (c/no. 377) First Flown 21-10-39. Delivered to the RAF at 24 MU 25-10-39. Issued to 41 Squadron 22-3-40 as "EB-N". Missing from patrol over Dunkerque 1-6-40. Pilot survived, became PoW.
Airborne from RAF Hornchurch, Essex for a combat air patrol over the Calais-Dunkirk area. Shot down in air to air combat by return fire from the Heinkel He 111s and Doriner Do 215s that the Spitfire was attacking. According to records in the 41 Squadron ORB (Operations Record Bpook, Air Ministry Form 540): “0830-1040 Four sections, carried out offensive patrol over Dunkirk. 3 [sic] Enemy aircraft shot down”. However, 41 Squadron lost four Spitfires on this day, with one pilot killed, and one missing (taken as PoW); the other two parachuted out of their aircraft safely, made their way to Dunkirk, and joined the evacuation convoys.
According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File ARE 81/723): "Spitfire N3107 in air operations over Dunkirk, France, 1 June 1940. Pilot Officer W Stapleton: prisoner of war"
Crew of Spitfire N3107:
Pilot officer William "Bill" Stapleton (pilot, RAF 41078) - survived, captured, taken as a PoW. Interned in PoW Camp Stalag Luft III as PoW No. 50
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/723: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502500
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=7542
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/41_squadron.html#0106
5. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p002.html
6. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?22603-41-Squadron-Spitfire-EB-M-1940-1941
7. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=50410
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Sep-2019 19:20 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 03-Sep-2019 19:21 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Sep-2019 06:35 | stehlík49 | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
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