ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229097
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| Date: | Saturday 8 June 1940 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 |
| Owner/operator: | 501 (County of Gloucester) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | P3347 |
| MSN: | SD-N |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Abbeville, Somme Department, Hauts de France -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Le Mans |
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I P3347 (SD-N) 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) for combat operations over Northern France. Pilot survived, although injured, bailed out, and was taken as a PoW. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/829): "Hurricane lost in air operations, 8 June 1940. Sergeant A O Lewis: prisoner of war"
Airborne from Le Mans, France, escorting Fairey Battles for an attack in Pitch. Shot down in air to air combat with a Bf 109 of 1./JG 26. Hurricane P3347 was abandoned, on fire, and the pilot Sgt A O Lewis - bailed out; aircraft came down near Abbeville, Somme Department, Hauts de France. Pilot bailed out and was badly burned.
According to his son: "He was at the time reported missing and remained so until a postcard sent by him from Belgium was received by his father on December 16th 1940. Subsequently a telegram from the IRC advised he was in Stalag Luft II. Only then was he reclassified as PoW. He was quite badly burnt when he bailed from his plane as he had skin grafts over his hands and feet".
Crew of Hurricane P3347:
Sergeant (Pilot) Arthur Owen Lewis, RAF 566649; survived, bailed out, injured, captured and taken as a POW. Interned in Stalag Luft III as PoW no. 47913
Sgt A O Lewis survived WWII, and died in August 2014
Sources:
1. Hawker Hurricane P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/829: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502552
3. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/501_squadron.html#0806
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=6163
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?13936-Sgt-A-A-LEWIS-501-Squadron-June-1940
6. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=192387&postcount=35
7. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=192459&postcount=36
8. http://heller-forever.forumactif.com/t4320-wing-co-ken-mac-kenzie
9. https://www.hurricane501.co.uk/history/501-county-of-gloucester-squadron-raf-history/
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 5 June 1940 | P3450 | 501 (County of Gloucester) Sqn RAF | 1 | near Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire | |
w/o |
| 12 July 1940 | P3084 | 501 (County of Gloucester) Sqn RAF | 1 | English Channel, off Portland Bill, Dorset, England |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Sep-2019 23:57 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 24-Sep-2019 13:16 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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