Date:	Friday 31 May 1940
Time:	14:40
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	264 (Madras Presidency) Sqn RAF
Registration:	L6968
MSN:	19
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	North Sea, off De Panne, West Flanders -   Belgium
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Manston, Ramsgate, Kent
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I L6968, 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) in combat operations 31 May 1940. According to the official file on the incident at the National Archives at Kew (see file AIR81/2199 - see link #4): "Pilot Officer G L Hickman, Leading Aircraftman A Fidler: killed; shot down, enemy action, Defiant L6968, 264 Squadron, 31 May 1940"

Aircraft came down into the North Sea, off De Panne, West Flanders, close to the French/Belgian border. Aircraft is believed to have been shot down by Bf109's of III./JG26. Both crew bailed out, but were later posed as 'Missing In Action'. This was amended to 'Killed In Action' when their bodies were recovered.

Crew of Defiant L6968:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Guy L. Hickman, RAF 42225, 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, killed in action 31/05/1940, buried at Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium
Leading Aircraftman (W.Op./Air Gunner.) Alfred Fidler, RAFVR 743039, 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, age 27, killed in action 31/05/1940, buried at Coxyde Military Cemetery, Belgium

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. Air Battle for Dunkirk, 26 May–3 June 1940 By Norman Franks
3. The Battle Of France: Then And Now By Peter Cornwell p.399
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/2199: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16471629
5. 264 Squadron ORB (Operational Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/10/1939 to 31/5/1940: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1553/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8397999
6. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2774958/guy-lewis-hickman/
7. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2774940/alfred-fidler/
8. https://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/264-squadron-patrol-over-dunkirk-calais-friday-31st-may-1940.19870/
9. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/264_squadron.html#31
10 https://aircrewremembered.com/hickman-guy.html
11. http://www.belgians-remember-them.eu/crash-wvl-zz6.php
12. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12506607/guy-lewis-hickman
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Panne

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Jul-2022 15:21	Dr. John Smith	Added
02-Jul-2022 15:23	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
03-Jul-2022 07:52	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator]