Date:	Sunday 18 May 1941
Time:	02:30 LT
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I (T)
Owner/operator:	12 FTS RAF
Registration:	R7363
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Little Ponton, 2 miles north of Grantham, Lincolnshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Grantham, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.1(T) R7363: Built by Fairey at Heaton Chapel, Stockport, and first issued for service at 12 FTS (Flying Training School) on 11 June 1940

Written off (destroyed) 18 May 1941: The aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Paul Semrau of the 3./NJG 2, who was flying a Ju 88C from Gilze-Rijen airfield, the Netherlands. The Battle had been engaged on night flying training, and burned out on the ground; Instructor F/O B K Thomas was killed, pupil pilot, Leading Aircraftman C D Kenwrick-Cox, was injured.

Crew of Battle R7363:
Flying Officer (42028) Bruce Kentish Thomas RAF (Instructor Pilot, aged 20) - killed on active service 18/5/1941, buried at Tunbridge Wells Cemetery, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
LAC C.D. Kenwrick-Cox RAF (Pupil Pilot Under Instruction) - survived but injured

The reported crash location of Little Ponton is a village in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies 2 miles (3 km) south of Grantham and about 60 metres (200 ft) above sea level, at approximate coordinates 52.88125°N 0.62553°W.

1. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p.176)
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980)
3. Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part one
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/6498: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16755796
5. http://www.bcar.org.uk/new1941-incident-logs
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2655484/BRUCE%20KENTISH%20THOMAS/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ponton
8. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?13374-F-O-Bruce-Thomas-(42028)-killed-on-May-18-1941-12-FTS&highlight=THOMAS&p=78846#post78846

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-May-2019 15:20	TigerTimon	Added
24-Oct-2020 21:29	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
24-Oct-2020 21:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
25-Oct-2020 14:37	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Location, Operator]