Date:	Tuesday 18 June 1940
Time:	morning
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	4 (Continental) FPP RAF
Registration:	L9318
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Crozon-sur-Vauvre, Indre Department, Centre-Val de Loire -   France
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex
Destination airport:	Middle East

Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9314, 4 (Continental) Ferry Pilots Pool, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when crashed in France en route to the Middle East. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry files into the incident (Files AIR 81/1010 and AIR 81/1011): "Blenheim L9318 failed to arrive whilst on a delivery flight to the Middle East, 18 June 1940. Sergeant M Field and Sergeant D Murrie: report of deaths. Aircraftman 2nd Class E Pickford: report of death"

Blenheim L9318 was one of a number of Hurricanes and twelve Blenheims that left RAF Tangmere, Chichester, West Sussex for the Middle East. One Hurricane and six Blenheims were lost on the first leg to Marignane (France). All twelve Blenheims took off from Tangmere between 06.30 and 06.45 hours on the morning of June 18 1940. Six were lost in severe storm conditions north-west of Limoges. The formation became split up over France in thick cloud 110 km south of the Loire River.

Blenheim L9318 crashed at Crozon-sur-Vauvre, is a commune in the Indre department in central France, in the Centre-Val de Loire region at approximate Coordinates: 46°29′22″N 1°52′16″E

Crew of Blenheim L9318:
Sergeant (Pilot) Martin Field, RAF 528040, age 24, killed on active service 18/06/1940
Sergeant (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) David Murrie, RAFVR 751305, age 19, killed in active service 18/06/1940
Aircraftman 1st Class Edward Pickford, RAFVR 966179, killed on active service 18/06/1940

All three crew fatalities were buried at Crozon Communal Cemetery, Finistere, France

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1010: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502849
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1011: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502850
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=2761
5. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/4_FPP.html#1806
6. http://www.inmemories.com/Cemeteries/crozon.htm
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crozon-sur-Vauvre
8. http://aircrewremembered.com/johnston-douglas.html
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2813919/field,-martin/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2813924/murrie,-david/
11. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2813925/pickford,-edward/
12. https://www.presqu-ile-de-crozon.com/guerre/2-tombes-commonwealth-crozon-001.php

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Oct-2019 20:55	Dr. John Smith	Added
28-Oct-2019 09:43	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]