ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229176
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| Date: | Tuesday 11 June 1940 |
| Time: | 12:45 LT |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 15 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L9024 |
| MSN: | LS-T |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Freneuse-sur-Risle (Eure), 15 km SE of Pont-Audemer -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire |
| RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9024 (LS-T) 21 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from a combat operation over Northern France. Of the three crew, one was killed, the other two survived uninjured. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/846): "Blenheim L9024 crashed near Caen, France, 11 June 1940. Sergeant V G Maloney and Sergeant B S J Piff: missing, later reported safe. Flying Officer R B G E Clark: report of death"
Airborne 11:30 from RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire. One of three Blenheims from 15 Squadron (L8851, L9024 and N3588) tasked with bombing targets in the Basse-Seine area in support of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force). While flying through cloud, P/O Werner (in Blenheim L8851) unknowingly overtook the formation leader, F/O Clark.
While turning to port, P/O Werner collided with F/O Clark (L9024), shedding a wing as his aircraft struck. (Some sources state that L9024 shed its starboard engine, which completely detached from the wing). Out of control, the Blenheim crashed in the vicinity of Freneuse-sur-Risle, 15 km South East of Pont-Audemer (Eure) on the South bank of the River Risle, 28 km South East of le Havre, France.
F/O Clark retained sufficient control of his Blenheim for long enough to enable his crew to bale out, but was unable to leave the aircraft himself before it crashed. The two surviving crew were apparently uninjured, and were eventually able to return to Wyton.
Crew of Blenheim L6024:
Flying Officer (Pilot) Ronald Belmore Gower Edward Clark, RAF 39968, age 20, killed in action 11/06/1940, buried at Bayeux War Cemetery, Calvados, France
Sgt T.J.W. Maloney (Observer) - survived, bailed out, uninjured, returned to his unit
Sgt B.S.J. Piff (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) - survived, bailed out, uninjured, returned to his unit.
The reported crash location of Freneuse-sur-Risle is a French commune located in the department of Eure in the region of Normandy, 15 km SE of Pont-Audemer, at approximate co ordinates 49°15'14" North, 0°40'28" East.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/846: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502652
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2955833/clark,-ronald-belmore-gower-edward/
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=4282
5. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/15_squadron.html#1106
6. http://39-45.auzeau.fr/france/14-calvados/14-bayeux-war-cemetery/
7. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freneuse-sur-Risle
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 18 May 1940 | P6917 | 15 Sqn RAF | 3 | near Landrecies, 12 km NE of Cateau-Cambrecies, Nord | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Sep-2019 19:13 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 21-Sep-2019 21:47 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Sep-2019 21:23 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-Sep-2019 13:10 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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