Date:	Monday 3 June 1940
Time:	00:56 LT
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	12 OTU RAF
Registration:	P2269
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Puckpool, Ryde, Isle of Wight -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Andover, Hampshire
Destination airport:	RAF Andover, Hampshire

Narrative:
Fairey Battle P2269, 12 OTU, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when became lost on a cross country navigation exercise, (routed Andover-Benson-Brize Norton-Hullavington-Andover) and shot down in error by "friendly fire" flak/AAA. The aircraft had inadvertantly flew into the Portsmouth Anti-aircraft defence area at 00.56 hrs. All three crew bailed out over the Solent Estuary, but two of them landed into the sea, and were drowned.

According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/744): "Battle P2269 shot down by anti-aircraft fire, Puckpool, Isle of Wight, 3 June 1940. Pilot Officer A G McIntyre: injured. Sergeant G H Hudson and Sergeant D L Leonard: report of deaths"

Shortly before midnight, on a clear summer's night, the air raid sirens sounded. Searchlights appeared on the Mainland and on the north coast of the Isle of Wight. An aircraft was held in the searchlights and the anti-aircraft gun batteries opened fire on the aircraft. The aircraft was hit and was seen to come down at Puckpool, on the outskirts of Ryde, Isle of Wight. The pilot was injured, but his two crew were killed; they had all abandoned the aircraft, but the two crew drowned in the Solent Estuary. One one crew member was recovered, after his body was washed ashore, the other was never found.

The following is a report from Pilot Officer A G McIntyre, the sole survivor:

"From:- P/O. A.G. McIntyre.
To:- O.C., Training Wing. No.12 O.T.U., R.A.F., BENSON.
ACCIDENT TO BATTLE AIRCRAFT P.2269.

Sir,
I wish to report that, on the night of 2/3 June, 1940, while I was Captain of Battle Aircraft P.2269, an accident occurred under the following circumstances:-

After becoming airborne at approximately 2355 hours I completed a circuit of BENSON aerodrome at a height of 1,000 feet and set course for BRIZE NORTON. The aircraft was over our objective at the estimated time of arrival. At this time some searchlights from well away found my aircraft. Rather than cause any doubt as to my identity I fired the Verey light for the day and they immediately switched off. Both the navigator and myself were satisfied that we were above BRIZE NORTON so the next course for HULLAVINGTON was set and I proceeded to fly on it. Visibility at this stage became poor although not very bad so I decided to climb to a higher altitude for two reasons:-

(1) Because visibility was clearer. (2) Because I would be able to see my objective sooner and easier. However at our estimated time of arrival searchlights on the ground showed me that I was above a thin layer of cloud. As I could see that by flying for a short time on the same course I could come down safely, I did so and proceeded to circle back slowly in order to see our objective. While doing this my wireless operator reported to me that he had received a message from base to the effect that the light was blacked out. The Navigator suggested that we then take HULLAVINGTON as found and proceed on our next course. We did so. At this stage a large battery of searchlights concentrated on me. I fired my second and last Verey light for the day and they went out. In what seemed to be only a few seconds I was again held by searchlights so I disregarded my course in an attempt to satisfy them as to my identity, believing that I could get homing bearing to BENSON. I considered it most urgent that I should stop them from opening fire so continually flashed the answer for the day and occasionally the distress signal. Soon after I saw shells coming up at me so ordered the Wireless Operator to get homing bearings. He attempted to do so but reported after a time that the Wireless was useless. We had no idea where we were by now, but soon saw the sea. Believing this to be the BRISTOL CHANNEL I flew by 90° in order to come back to OXFORDSHIRE. I was searching now for any aerodrome so that I might land. I was still flashing distress and recognition signals and even put the headlights on in an attempt to show them that I was not trying to avoid them on the ground or act in a suspicious manner. These manoeuvres were without result so I decided to make the crew jump in their parachutes - for they could help me no further in the aircraft. I warned them to this effect, and proceeded to climb to a safe altitude for them to jump from. All this time we were receiving concentrated fire from the ground. I kept them with me as long as I dared for their safety and after I despaired of ever finding a landing ground, I gave the order for them to leave. This they did.

I still continued in a vain attempt to search for an aerodrome using all the manoeuvres in my power to evade the ever closing gun fire.

When I had come to the conclusion that all aerodromes had been blacked out and that I would merely keep on flying until I was shot down. It appeared that nothing could be gained by that so I climbed the aircraft again to a fairly safe height. My next concern was to land the machine where it would not hurt civilians. As searchlights are usually in fields I flew right above them - wound back the tail-trimming device - switched off the engine and spun the aircraft. I believed that in this manner the aircraft would go down in the slowest possible manner and with the least danger to anyone. I jumped and landed by parachute only a few yards from the aircraft.

When I landed I was soon approached by Naval forces whom I asked to guard the aircraft and its secret papers. This was done.

(Sgd.) A.G. McINTYRE. Pilot Officer."

Crew of Battle P2269:
Pilot Officer A G McIntyre (pilot) - bailed out, survived with slight injuries
Sergeant George Howard Hudson (Observer) RAF 581225, aged 21, killed in action 02/06/40, buried at Bembridge (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Bembridge, Isle of Wight
Sergeant Dennis Leonard Leonard (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) RAF 620407, killed in action 02/06/40

As no trace of Sergeant Leonard was ever found, he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial

1. Battle in the Skies over the Isle of Wight, H J T Leal, Isle of Wight County Press, 1988
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
3. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/744: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502628
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2351045/hudson,-george-howard/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1803320/leonard,-denis-leonard/
7. http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=13554.0
8. http://www.traffordwardead.co.uk/index.php?sold_id=s%3A15%3A%22262%2Curmston_ww2%22%3B&letter=&place=&war=II&soldier=Hudson
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puckpool .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Jan-2010 03:40	John Baker	Added
14-Aug-2013 21:48	JINX	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative]
06-Jun-2015 10:27	Lixon	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport]
04-Sep-2019 18:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Time, Operator, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
04-Sep-2019 18:09	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
04-Sep-2019 18:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
04-Sep-2019 18:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type]
17-Sep-2019 19:32	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]