ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 158123
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| Date: | Friday 31 May 1940 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Supermarine Spitfire Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 609 (West Riding) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L1087 |
| MSN: | 302 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | English Channel, 2 miles off Dover, Kent, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Northolt, South Ruislip, Middlesex |
L1087: Spitfire Mk.Ia (c/no. 302) First Flown 23-8-39. Delivered to the RAF at 609 (West Riding) Squadron 27-8-39 as "PR-E". Written off (destroyed) when Ditched in Channel during escort for 264 Squadron Defiants to Dunkerque 31-5-40. Pilot survived.
Airborne from RAF Northolt, South Ruislip, Middlesex to escort 264 Squadron's Boulton Paul Defiants for a combat air patrol over Dunkirk. Pilot - Sgt G.C. Bennett - bailed out after being damaged by an Me109, and was rescued. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident "Spitfire L1087 crashed into the English Channel, 31 May 1940. Sergeant G C Bennett: injured"
One published source states that L1087 ditched into the English Channel off Dover, Kent: "Sgt Bennett in L1087 shot down a Heinkel He 111. His aircraft was badly shot up, but he attempted to return to base, accompanied by Flying Officer Russell in Spitfire L1058. About 2 miles from Dover he suddenly nose-dived into the Channel. He was seen to get out of the aircraft by Flying Officer Russell, who apparently signalled a tug at Dover, which put out and picked up Sgt Bennett."
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/730: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502614
3. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p002.html
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/609_squadron.html#3105
5. https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Spitfire/RAF-609Sqn-PR/pages/COD-C6-MkI-RAF-609Sqn-PRE-L1087-Middle-Wallop-1940.html
6. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234909929-609-sqn-codes/&do=findComment&comment=928067
7. http://www.cieldegloire.com/sq_raf_609.php
8. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/flying-officer-ian-bedford-nesbitt-russell-dfc-raf.19891/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Aug-2013 19:43 | JINX | Added |
| 14-Aug-2013 17:48 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 04-Sep-2019 20:38 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Sep-2019 20:39 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
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