Date:	Wednesday 12 June 1940
Time:	09:00 LT
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	88 (Hong Kong) Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5334
MSN:	RH-A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Grounds of Chateaux-de-Beaurepaire (Oise), 38 km SE of Beauvais -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Moisy, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I L5334 (RH-A) 88 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations on 12 June 1940. Both crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/871): "Battle L5334 crashed in Northern France, 12 June 1940. Sergeant J Ballantyne and Flight Lieutenant A L Pitfield: report of deaths"

According to a biography of one of the crew (Flight Lt Alan L Pitfield): "Take-off at 0830 hrs from Moisy a few days before the fall of France to attack pontoon bridges at Pont Pointe at St.Valery. Others in the attack witnessed the attack by the Battle L5334 on the northern end of the bridges but then he disappeared below the level of nearby trees after a tremendous amount of ground fire, and Crashed in the ground of the Chateaux-de-Beaurepaire (Oise) 38 km south east of Beauvais, France.

The attacks on the bridges were classed as successful and during the bombing they also strafed troop concentrations on the banks of the river."

On 16/07/1940, Alan L Pitfield was posthumously awarded the DFC. Extract from citation:

“During May 1940, he took part in six night and one day operational flights in ‘Battle’ aircraft carried out in spite of strong enemy opposition, and under difficult weather conditions. He displayed magnificent courage and devotion to duty, and his skill and keenness were a splendid example to the Pilots of his Flight.”

Crew of Battle L5334:
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Alan Leonard Pitfield, RAF 39007, DFC, age 22, killed in action 12/06/1940
Sergeant (Observer) John Ballantyne, RAF 580936, DFC, age 23, killed in action 12/06/1940

Both crew were buried in a joint grave at Beaurepaire Communal Cemetery, Oise, France

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/871: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502517
3. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997)
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2234499/pitfield,-alan-leonard/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2234498/ballantyne,-john/
6. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1033
7. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/88_squadron.html#1206
8. http://www.inmemories.com/Cemeteries/beaurepairecom.htm
9. http://www.aircrewremembered.com/pitfield-alan.html . .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
14-Jan-2011 16:00	ThW	Added
23-Jan-2012 04:12	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Narrative]
03-Jun-2013 09:17	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Narrative]
09-Jan-2015 22:24	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Cn, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
11-Sep-2019 23:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Source, Narrative]
11-Sep-2019 23:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
23-Sep-2019 22:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]