Date:	Saturday 11 May 1940
Time:	morning
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	218 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P2249
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Prüm, Westeifel, Rhineland-Palatinate -   Germany
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Auberive-sur-Suippes, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.1 P2249 (HA-U) of 218 Sqaudro, RAF: Lost on combat operations - officially described as "Battle P2249 crashed near Prüm, Germany, 11 May 1940". On the afternoon of 11 May 1940, 8 Battles of Nos 88 and 218 Squadrons were dispatched to attack German troops in Luxembourg. None make it to the intended target area as German fighters accounted for 7 aircraft en-route and the eighth only survived because it returned early with engine failure.

Battle P2249 was Airborne at 09:30 from Auberieve-sur-Suippes. Reported shot down near the target area of St-Vith, Liège, Wallonia - although the official Air Ministry files on the incident states "near Pruem, Germany". All three crew survived, but were captured and taken as PoWs.

Crew of Battle P2249:

Pilot Officer H.M. Murray RAF (pilot); survived, captured, taken as PoW, and interned in Camps 9AH/L3, as PoW No.1130. Reported as 'badly burned', but no record of Hospitalisation RAFVR/152733 (NCO:636485 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 26 October, 1943)

Sgt Peter Stubbs RAF (Observer); survived, captured, taken as PoW and interned in Camps 8B/L1/L3/L6/357, as PoW No.18818. Lost little finger and Hospitalised near Limburg. RAF/580468

AC.2 I.G. Adams RAF (Wireless Op./Air Gunner); survived, captured, taken as PoW and interned in Camps 8B/L6/357 as PoW No.13084 RAF/628368

Peter Stubbs wrote a book, memoirs as a PoW, entitled "Silk and barbed wire". It is reported that Peter Stubbs sustained his injuries when he wounded by gunfire while trying to escape across the border to Belgium.

The reported crash site of Prüm is a town in the Westeifel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, at approximate coordinates: 50°12′29″N 6°25′28″E.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Brtian, 1997)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/250: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142075
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/218_squadron.html
5. https://218squadron.wordpress.com/fairey-battles/
6. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=72920&postcount=5
7. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/10315.php
8. https://erenow.net/ww/st-vith-victory-218-squadron-campaign-against-nazi-germany/2.php
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pr%C3%BCm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
19-Jun-2019 21:53	Dr. John Smith	Added
21-Jun-2019 10:48	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]