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Date: | Friday 17 May 1940 |
Time: | 06:30 |
Type: | Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
Owner/operator: | 82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF |
Registration: | P4904 |
MSN: | UX-B |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | near Lappion (Aisne), 25 km ENE Laon, Hauts-de-France -
France
|
Phase: | Combat |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Watton, Norfolk |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV P4904 (UX-B) of 82 (United Provinces) Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) on combat operations (Target: Gembloux, Belgium). Two of the three crew were killed, one evaded capture, and returned to his unit. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/401): "Blenheim P4904 shot down near Lappion, France, 17 May 1940. Sergeant D J Lees and Leading Aircraftman K G Reed, report of deaths. Sergeant T J Watkins - uninjured".
On 17th May, 1940, twelve aircraft of 82 Squadron, based at Watton, in Norfolk, took off to attack troop concentrations at Gembloux, Belgium, where the German army was sweeping West towards the Channel ports. Blenheim P4904 (UX-B) was airborne at 04:50 hrs from RAF Watton, Norfolk. One of the 12 Blenheims lost by 82 Squadron on this operation.
They were supposed to have a Hurricane fighter escort but they were intercepted before the escort arrived, and they had to proceed without their escorts. As they reached their target, 15 German Bf-109 fighters attacked them.
Eleven of them were shot down and the sole survivor (Blenheim Mk.IV P8858, UX-W), which was badly damaged, managed to reach RAF Watton, Norfolk, but it was written off due to the damage sustained.
Crew:
Sgt (Obs.) David John LEES (565583) RAF - killed
LAC2 (Wop/AG) Kenneth Gordon REED ( 552567) RAF - killed
Sgt L.H. WATKINS (pilot) RAF Evaded capture, returned to his unit 01/06/1940.
The reported crash location of Lappion is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France, at approximate Coordinates: 49°36′29″N 3°57′50″E
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 26)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/401:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502072 3. The Squadron That Died Twice - The story of No. 82 Squadron RAF by By Gordon Thorburn
4.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689434/lees,-david-john/ 5.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689510/reed,-kenneth-gordon 6.
http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=943 7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lappion 8.
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/82_squadron.html#1705
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
27 February 1940 |
P4842 |
82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF |
3 |
Elbe Estuary, off Scharhörn |
|
w/o |
Images:
Own research
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
02-Jan-2012 10:22 |
Uli Elch |
Added |
08-Apr-2017 14:32 |
pietrzak |
Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
30-Jul-2017 15:55 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
06-Jan-2018 14:55 |
XindelX |
Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator] |
26-Sep-2018 07:52 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
17-Jul-2019 18:30 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
01-Jan-2021 13:10 |
Investig |
Updated [Destination airport, Narrative, Operator] |