ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 69409
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| Date: | Friday 14 June 1940 |
| Time: | 08:30 LT |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 45 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L8524 |
| MSN: | OB-H |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Sidi Azeiz, near Giarabub (Jaghbub), Butnan, Cyrenaican Desert -
 Libya
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | LG-017, Fuka Aerodrome, Sidi Haneish, Egypt |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.I (OB-H) 45 Squadron, RAF; Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over Libya. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/896): "Blenheim L8524 failed to return from an operational flight over Giarabub (Jaghbub), Libya, 14 June 1940. Sergeant G E Negus, Leading Aircraftman J K Copeland and Flying Officer J S Davies: missing presumed dead".
Airborne from LG-017, Fuka Aerodrome, Sidi Haneish, Egypt to bomb enemy targets at Giarabub (Jaghbub), Butnan, Cyrenaican Desert. According to a biography of Wing Commander Vernon Compton "Woody" Woodward DFC and bar, who was flying a 33 Squadron Gloster Gladiator as escort:
"At 07:35 Flying Officer Ernest Dean, Flying Officer R. A. Couchman, Pilot Officer Woodward and Pilot Officer A. R. Costello of the 33 Squadron took off from Sidi Barrani to provided in-direct escort to Blenheims from 45 Squadron. Two Blenheims were out to attack the nearby airstrip of Sidi Azeiz and three bombers were out for Fort Maddalena (that the Italians had already abandoned). One of the bombers (L8524) that attacked Sidi Azeiz was shot down by light AA fire, killing the crew (Flying Officer J. Davies, Sergeant G. Negus and Leading Aircraftsman J. Copeland). The fighters of 33 Squadron returned at 09:25 and reported a successful low flying attack carried out on a Caproni Ca.309 Ghibli bomber of the 2 Gruppo APC on the ground at Sidi Aziez. Advancing British troops later captured the disabled bomber."
Crew of Blenheim L8254:
Flying Officer (Pilot) John Scott Davies, RAF 39505, killed in action 14/06/1940
Sergeant (Observer) Geoffrey Edward Negus, RAFVR 749517, age 30, killed in action 14/06/1940
Leading Aircraftman John King Copeland, RAF 531915, age 25, killed in action 14/06/1940
All three crew fatalities are buried at Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, Egypt. The reported crash location of Sidi Azeiz Airfield, is an abandoned World War II military airfield in the eastern desert of Libya. It was located near the Egyptian border near Jabbanat Sidi, about 100 km east of Tobruk. Coordinates are given as 31°40′00″N 24°54′00″E
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 58)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/896: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502598
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2115968/davies,-john-scott/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2057795/negus,-geoffrey-edward/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2115926/copeland,-john-king/
6. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/45_squadron.html#1406
7. http://www.rafjever.org/122wgpers004.htm
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidi_Azeiz_Airfield
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2009 23:12 | JINX | Added |
| 18-Jan-2012 02:22 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 23-Jul-2013 15:37 | JINX | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Dec-2014 06:13 | Faun | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 08-Oct-2018 18:39 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 26-Sep-2019 22:49 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Sep-2019 06:37 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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