Date:	Wednesday 10 July 1940
Time:
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	107 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L9468
MSN:	UX-T
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Aigneville, 18 miles south-west of Abbeville, Somme Department. -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Wattisham, Suffolk
Destination airport:	RAF Wattisham

Narrative:
Blenheim L9468/T: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over France. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1070): "Blenheim P9468 crashed at Aigneville, France, 10 July 1940. Sergeant R D Cook, Sergeant R Mercer and Pilot Officer H L Atkin-Berry: report of deaths"

Airborne from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk as one of six Blenheims tasked to attack Glisy Aerdrome, near Amiems, Somme Department, France. Five of the six Blenheims were shot down (R3916, R3815, P6894, L9468 and R3606). Blenheim L9468 was shot down over the target area by a Bf 109 of 9/JG 3; force landed at Aigneville, Somme Department. No survivors among the crew of three. Note that the Blenheim L9468 was "borrowed" from 82 Squadron, RAF, due to "unserviceability issues" with a Blenheim of 107 Squadron (hence the 82 Squadron "UX" code letters); the crew was all from 107 Sqdn.
Crew:
Sgt (580997) Ronald Donaldson COOK (Obs.) RAF - killed
Sgt (639880) Roy MERCER (WOp/AG) RAF - killed
P/O (41360) Harold Leslie ATKIN-BERRY MiD(Pilot) RAF - killed (Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 10 October, 1939)

All three crew fatalities were buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wilimile, Pas de Calais, France. The reported crash location of Aigneville is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France, about 30 km (19 miles) southwest of Abbeville at approximate Coordinates: 50°02′09″N 1°37′03″E

Note that the official Air Ministry file AIR 81/1070 is in error; the Blenheim involved in this incident was L9468 and NOT "P9864". The serial P9864 was allocated to a Fairey Barracuda (one of a batch with serials allocated between P9847 and P9891)

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archvies (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1070: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502682
3. The Other Few: The Contribution Made by Bomber and Coastal Aircrew to the Battle Of Britain (p 29) By Larry Donnelly
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=4284
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2280873/cook,-robert-donaldson/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2280927/mercer,-roy/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2280857/atkin-berry,-harold-leslie/
8. http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety3.com/Memorial_Tower_Project/Stowe-School-aircrew-losses/
9. https://www.avions-bateaux.com/uploads/attachment/produit//produit_3117_bb15cbf0fc7ec7548b56256d40a169a6.pdf
10. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

17 May 1940	L8830	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	0	La Capelle, Aisne department in Hauts-de-France, north east of Laon		w/o
29 July 1940	R3619	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	1	De Waard Farm, Cocksdorp, Texel, Noord-Holland		w/o
28 May 1941	V6457	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	3	North Sea 130 km NW of Texel, Noord-Holland		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Oct-2019 22:43	Dr. John Smith	Added
11-Oct-2019 22:44	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
11-Oct-2019 22:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
15-Oct-2019 07:27	juza7	Updated [Operator]
10-Jul-2023 06:17	Rob Davis	Updated [[Operator]]