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Date: | Friday 3 May 1940 |
Time: | 21:00 LT |
Type: | Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
Owner/operator: | 53 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | L9329 |
MSN: | TE-L |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Horningrinde, Sasbach near Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, -
Germany
|
Phase: | Combat |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | Metz, France |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9329 (TE-L) of 53 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed on combat operations) when failed to return on a reconnaissance flight over Achern, Germany, 3 May 1940. Took off from Metz, France at 20:30 on a reconnaissance flight over the Ruhr. Aircraft believed to have come down at Horningrinde, Sasbach, near Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg at 21:00; all three crew were killed
Crew of Blenheim L9329:
Aircraftman 2nd Class Robert Arthur Wood (Wireless Op/Air Gunner, Service Number 624992)
Sergeant Maurice George Arthur Pearce (Observer, Service Number 565936, aged 24)
Pilot Officer J L G Butterworth (Pilot, Service Number 40798, aged 21)
All three crew were initially buried at Seebach, but we re-buried post war at Durnbach War Cemetery, Bayern, Munich, Germany, Note that the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/193) gives this Blenheim the incorrect serial "P9329" (sic). (P9329 was a Spitfire Mk.1a)
Hornisgrinde, at 1,164 m (3,820 ft), is the highest mountain in the Northern Black Forest of Germany. Hornisgrinde lies in northern Ortenaukreis district at approximate coordinates: 48°36′25″N 8°12′9″E.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 61)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/193:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142018 3.
http://aircrewremembered.com/butterworth-john.html 4.
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/raf-losses-may-1940-an-update.16940/#post-194460 5.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2103594/wood,-robert-arthur/ 6.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2102783/pearce,-maurice-george-arthur/ 7.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2079941/butterworth,-john-leslie-gilbert/ 8.
https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/227218-blenheim-iv-l9329.html 9.
http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/WW2BookB.html#ButterworthJLG 10.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornisgrinde Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
13-Jun-2019 01:41 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
13-Jun-2019 02:40 |
stehlik49 |
Updated [Operator] |