ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229942
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| Date: | Friday 12 July 1940 |
| Time: | 15:00 LT |
| Type: | Vickers Wellesley Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 47 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K8520 |
| MSN: | KU-B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Massawa, Semienawi Keyih Bahri, Northern Red Sea Region -
 Eritrea
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Erkowit/Cathargo, Sudan (HSCG) |
| Erkowit/Cathargo, Sudan (HSCG) |
Vickers Wellesley Mk.I K8520, (KU-B) 47 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from Combat Operations over Eritrea. Of the three crew, one was killed, the other two survived. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1105): " Wellesley K8520 crashed at Massawa, Eritrea, 12 July 1940. Sergeant F Nelson: report of death. Sergeant G Brixton and Leading Aircraftman J Woods: uninjured"
On 12 July, eleven Wellesleys from 14 and 47 Squadrons took off from Erkowit/Cathargo Airfield in Sudan, to attack Massawa airfield. Two Italian fighters (Tenente Visintini and Sergente Lugi Baron) intercepted them, Tenente Visintini shot down Sergeant Frederick “Freddy” Nelson (RAF No. 516778) of 47 Squadron, in Wellesley K8520 at 15:00. The pilot was killed, but the rest of the crew was taken prisoner.
According to one published source ("The Aeroplane Monthly" November 2014): "An increased number of operations from Erkowit/Carthago continued during the month [of July 1940] and losses for 47 Squadron included K8520, which became one of Capitano Mario Visintini Medaglia’s victims on July 12. The Italian ace would eventually claim a total of 17 victories, all in biplanes, before his death in February 1941"
Crew of Wellesley K8520:
Sergeant Frederick "Freddy" Nelson (Pilot) RAF 516778 - killed in action 12/07/1940, buried at Asmara War Cemetery, Asmara, Eritrea
Sergeant G Brixton (Observer) - bailed out, survived, captured, taken as PoW
Leading Aircraftman J Woods (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) - bailed out, survived, captured, taken as PoW
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1976 p 71)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1105): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502838
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2272171/nelson,-frederick-(freddy)/
4. Aeroplane Monthly November 2014 p 44
5. http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_visintini.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Oct-2019 00:59 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 15-Oct-2019 07:31 | juza7 | Updated [Operator] |
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