Date:	Sunday 12 May 1940
Time:	morning
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	12 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5227
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Veldwezelt, Limburg -   Belgium
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Amifontaine, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.1 L5227 (PH-J) 12 Squadron, RAF: Lost on combat operations when failed to return - officially described as "Battle L5227 crashed at Eigenbilzen, Belgium, 12 May 1940; Sergeant F Marland, Sergeant K D Footner and Leading Aircraftman J L Perrin: report of deaths".

Airborne 08:22 hrs from Amifontaine, France with orders to destroy a metal bridge spanning the Albert Kanaal at Maastricht (Operation Veldwezelt). Last seen climbing, out of control. Crashed near Veldwezelt (Limburg), 21 km ESE of Hasselt, Belgium. All three crew killed.

Crew of Battle L5227:
Sergeant (Observer) Kenneth D. Footner, RAF 580423, age 24, killed in action 12/05/1940
Sergeant (Pilot) Fred Marland, RAF 514450, age 28, killed in action 12/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) John L. Perrin, RAF 537397, age 22, killed in action 12/05/1940,

12 Squadron, RAF lost five Fairey Battles in Operation Veldwezelt: P2204, L5227, L5439, L5421 and P2332, with the loss of six crew, and seven taken as PoWs. All three crew of Battle L5227 were buried at Heverlee War Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium in November 1946. At the time of the original crash they were buried local to the crash site (see links #10 & #11)

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 34)
2. The Battle File, Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p 146
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/279: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142104
4. http://aircrewremembered.com/norman-thomas.html
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2777459/footner,-kenneth-douglas/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2777745/marland,-fred/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2777856/perrin,-john-lawrence/
8. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/12_squadron.html#om
9. https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2016/06/05/the-allied-air-attacks-against-the-bridges-1112-may-1940/
10. https://www.hangarflying.eu/erfgoedsites/monument-bemanning-fairey-battle-l5227/ (Belgian text)
11. http://www.blha.be/en/monument.html
12. http://www.626-squadron.co.uk/willem29.htm
13. http://www.binbrook.demon.co.uk/html/Fairey_Battle.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
23-Jun-2019 18:30	Dr. John Smith	Added
23-Jun-2019 18:33	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
25-Jun-2019 05:44	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
26-Jun-2022 09:05	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]