ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 65831
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| Date: | Wednesday 22 May 1940 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 57 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L9184 |
| MSN: | DX-D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cambrai-Arras Road, near Haucourt (Pas-de-Calais), 12 km SE of Arras -
 France
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hawkinge, Kent |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9184 (DX-D) 57 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 22 May 1940 when lost (failed to return) from combat operations. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/497): "Blenheim L9184 failed to return from an operational flight, crashed near the Cambrai-Arras Road, France, 22 May 1940. Aircraftman 1st Class G R Pirie, Sergeant S F Simmons and Pilot Officer R L Saunders - report of deaths".
Airborne from RAF Hawkinge, Folkestone, Kent, for an armed Reconnaissance sortie over Arras. Cause of loss not established, but some unofficial sources attribute the loss to flak/AAA. Crashed near Haucourt (Pas-de-Calais), 12 km South East of Arras, France and to the North of the main road leading to Cambrai. (Once source gives the crash location as being "at the crossroads of Route de Bapaume and Carrefour De l'Esperance"). All three crew killed
Crew of Blenheim L9184
Aircraftman 1st Class (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) George Ross Pirie, RAF 626070, age 24, killed in action 22/05/1940
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Roi Leonard Saunders, RAF 70602, age 24, killed in action 22/05/1940
Sergeant (Observer) Samuel Frank Simmons, RAF 564409, age 27, killed in action 22/05/1940
All three crew fatalities were buried at Haucourt Communal Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. The crew was buried in a field grave adjacent to the crash site but re-interred together in the local cemetery in July 1942 along with the remains of P/O Roi Saunders' dog which he had taken with him on his last flight. Diligent post-war research by No. 1 Missing Research and Enquiry Unit, involving two exhumations, finally resulted in all three being formally identified in May 1949.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/497: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502199
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2279434/pirie,-george-rosse/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2279435/saunders,-roi-leonard/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2279436/simmons,-samuel-frank/
6. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1025
7. https://www.aerosteles.net/stelefr-haucourt-blenheim
8. http://deuxiemeguerremondia.forumactif.com/t10484-hommage-a-trois-aviateurs-de-la-raf (French text)
9. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/57_squadron.html#2205
10. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/21.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Jun-2009 09:51 | THERY FABRICE | Added |
| 19-Jun-2009 10:27 | THERY FABRICE | Updated |
| 09-Oct-2009 06:56 | Anon. | Updated |
| 31-Jan-2012 01:12 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 06-Aug-2013 19:01 | JINX | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 15-Dec-2014 10:52 | Jixon | Updated [Operator, Departure airport] |
| 09-Oct-2018 17:15 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 05-Aug-2019 00:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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