ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 228874
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 6 June 1940 |
| Time: | 10:00 LT |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 40 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | P4927 |
| MSN: | BL-D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | South of Le Touquet Beach, near Étaples, Pas de Calais -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire |
| St Valery sur Somme |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV P4927 (BL-D) 40 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over France. All three crew survived, but were captured, and taken as PoWs. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/793): "Blenheim P4927 failed to return from air operations over France, 6 June 1940. Sergeant D E Peters, Sergeant J A D Rice and Sergeant R C Moffat: prisoners of war"
Possible claim by Uffz. Georg Hofelich 3./JG3 - St Valéry-Abbeville at 10:00
Airborne from RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire to attack enemy troop columns along the Weygand Line between Abbeville and St. Valery-sur-Somme, France. Shot down by Bf 109 - possibly the one piloted by Oblt Rowher of 1./JG 3 - at approximately 10:00am local time. Aircraft believed to have come down on a beach on the coast, presumably between the Bay of Le Somme (Baie de Somme), Picardy, and Le Touquet, Pas De Calais. (The two locations are some 42 km apart)
40 Squadron lost five aircraft in this operation: P4927, R3692, L8827, L9410 and L9417, However only three crew - all the crew of L9410 - were lost. As stated above, all three crew of Blenheim P4927 survived, bailed out, but were captured and became PoWs.
Crew of Blenheim P4927:
Sgt Joseph Archibald Donald Rice (Pilot RAF 741422); survived, captured, became a PoW. Interned in PoW Camps L1/L6/357, as PoW No.349.
Sgt R.C. Moffatt (Observer, RAF 580973); survived, captured, became a PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 8B/L6/357, as PoW No.20260
Sgt D.E. Peters (Wireless Op./Air Gunner); survived, captured, became a PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 8B/L6/357, as PoW No.20261
The reported crash location is the beach at Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, commonly referred to as Le Touquet, is a commune near Étaples, in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France, at approximate Coordinates: 50°31′07″N 1°35′42″E
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/793: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502464
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=5453
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/40_squadron.html#0606
5. http://aircrewremembered.com/rice-joseph.html
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Touquet
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baie_de_Somme
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Sep-2019 18:50 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 10-Sep-2019 18:55 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Sep-2019 16:15 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
| 23-Jun-2022 16:07 | Anon. | Updated [Destination airport, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation