ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229285
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| Date: | Thursday 13 June 1940 |
| Time: | 15:45 |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 107 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | R3616 |
| MSN: | OM-F |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Caugé (Eure), 9 km west of Evreux, Normandy. -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wattisham, Suffolk |
| RAF Wattisham |
Blenheim R3616/F: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over Northern France. All three killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/874): "Blenheim R3616 shot down at Acquigny, France, 13 June 1940. Sergeant F C Higgins, Sergeant J R Browning and Pilot Officer A F Stidston: report of deaths"
Airborne from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk, briefed to destroy strategic bridges over the Seine near Vernon. This operation followed a message from Winston Churchill to French Premier Reynaud and General Weygand that the RAF would assist then as much as possible with "maximum effort". During the daylight hours of 13th June 1940 all available RAF Blenheims were made available to mount an attack, backed up by the RAF's heavy bombers for a night attack on the night of 13th/14th June 1940.
Weather hampered the 60 available Blenheims sent, and the longer distances to the target area meant it was difficult to provide fighter cover. The raids were concentrated on various targets, from the advancing Panzer tank columns to bridges over the River Seine, to try and delay the rapidly advancing enemy forces.
During 13th June 1940, the RAF lost eleven Fairey Battles, and six Blenheims. Nineteen crew were killed, eight injured, and fifteen captured and made PoWs. 107 Squadron lost Blenheim R3616 after it was shot down by Uffz. Konrad Nellescamp of 5./JG 3 in the area of Caugé (Eure), 9 km W of Evreux, Normandy, at 15:45 hrs.
Crew:
P/O (42448) Arthur Frank STIDSTON (pilot) RAF : killed
Sgt (580577) Francis Charles HIGGINS (Obs.) RAF : killed
Sgt (537351) John Raymond BROWNING (WOp/AG) RAF : killed
All three crew fatalities were buried at Caugé Communal Cemetery, Eure, France. The reported crash location of Caugé is a commune in the Eure department of Normandy in northern France, 9 km W of Evreux, at approximate Coordinates: 49°01′33″N 1°02′08″E
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980 p 23)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/874: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502520
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1156
4. http://aircrewremembered.com/stidston-arthur.html
5. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/107_squadron.html#1306
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320672/stidston,-arthur-frank/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320671/higgins,-francis-charles/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320670/browning,-john-raymond/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caug%C3%A9
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 12 May 1940 | P4914 | 107 Sqn RAF | 3 | near Voroux-Goreaux, 10 km west of Liège. |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Sep-2019 16:25 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 25-Sep-2019 04:13 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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