ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 230018
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| Date: | Thursday 18 July 1940 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 235 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N3541 |
| MSN: | LA-X |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | North Sea, east of Harwich, off coast of Essex, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk |
Brsitol Blenheim N3541/X: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from a Convoy Escort Patrol. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1142): "Blenheim N3541 failed to return from air operations, 18 July 1940. Pilot Officer R L Patterson, Sergeant L Reece and Sergeant R Tucker: missing presumed dead"
Took off from RAF Bircham Newton, Kings Lynn, Norfolk for convoy escort duties. Crashed into North Sea; failed to return from a convoy patrol in poor weather off East Anglia on 18th July 1940. All three men on board were lost, Tucker, P/O R L Patterson and Sgt. L H M Reece. Aircraft believed came down off the coast of Essex, east of Harwich. (Reasons and exact location not yet established).
Crew of Blenheim N3541:
P/O Robert Lawson Patterson (77529) RAFVR - posted as missing, presumed killed
Sgt Lawrence Hugh Murrell Reece (747825) RAFVR - posted as missing, presumed killed
Sgt Ronald Yeaman Tucker (552711) RAF - posted as missing, presumed killed
As there were no survivors among the three crew, and no trace of the aircraft or its crew was ever found, they are all commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977 p 20)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1142: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14503081
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1803989/patterson,-robert-lawson/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2939993/reece,-lawrence-hugh-murrell/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1809067/tucker,-ronald-yeaman/
6. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/235_squadron.html#1807
7. http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york40/l1168b.html
8. https://www.netweather.tv/forum/topic/63129-the-battle-of-britain-weather-diary/page/2/
9. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/so-it-began-their-finest-hour.31735/page-34
10. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/PattersonRL.htm
11. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/TuckerRY.htm
12. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/ReeceRHM.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Oct-2019 15:57 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 27-Oct-2019 22:16 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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