ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226322
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| Date: | Saturday 11 May 1940 |
| Time: | morning |
| Type: |  Fairey Battle Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 88 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | P2261 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Saint Vith, Liège -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Mourmelon-Le-Grand, France |
Fairey Battle Mk.1 P2261 (RH-B) of 88 Squadron, RAF: Lost on combat operations - officially described as "Battle P2261 crashed at Noville, Belgium, 11 May 1940". Airborne 09:45 hrs from Mourmelon-le-Grand, France. At 9:45 am six Battle of 88 Squadron and two aircraft of the 218 Squadron from Baccones-sur-Marne took off to attack enemy columns at St-Vith. It is doubtful whether one of them succeeded in causing damage to the enemy column. The only crew that returned, their Battle was badly damaged by Flak on the way there, saw three Battles being knocked down by heavy Flak on the way to the target above the Ardennes. Seven aircraft were lost in total.
P2261 was one of those that crashed. It was shot down near St-Vith (Liège), Wallonia, Belgium (at approximate coordinates: 50°16′N 06°07′E). All three crew killed:
Crew of Battle P2261:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Bruce I.M. Skidmore, RAF 40644, age 20, killed in action 11/05/1940, buried at Hotton War Cemetery, Belgium
Sergeant (Observer) Ronald A.P. Kirby, RAF 518693, age 24, killed in action 11/05/1940, buried Hotton War Cemetery, Belgium
Aircraftman 1st Class (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) William L. Parsons, RAF 612745, killed in action 11/05/1940, buried Hotton War Cemetery, Belgium
NOTE: The official Air Ministry file on this incident (File AIR 81/244) gives the crash location as "Noville"; that location is at Fexhe-le-Haut-Clocher, a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège (at approximate Coordinates: 50°40′N 05°24′E) - the same province (Liège) but 92 km away.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain 1978 p 13)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/244: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142069
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2726773/skidmore,-bruce-ian-muddiman/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2726546/kirby,-ronald-alfred-percival/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2726675/parsons,-william-leonard/
6. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/88_squadron.html
7. http://www.belgians-remember-them.eu/list3.php
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Vith
9. https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/model-van-toestel/fairey-battle
.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Jun-2019 21:51 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 19-Jun-2019 19:50 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Jun-2019 10:51 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 05-Nov-2022 14:25 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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