ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226627
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 12 May 1940 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 139 (Jamaica) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N6215 |
| MSN: | XD-Q |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Lanaken, Limburg. -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Plivot, France |
Blenheim N6215 (XD-Q): Written off (destroyed) when lost on combat operations. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident: "Blenheim N6215 crashed near Maastricht, The Netherlands, 12 May 1940. Sergeant F W Gregory, Leading Aircraftman H F Over and Flying Officer A McPherson: report of deaths".
At dawn on 12 May 1940, the British air commander sent off nine A.A.S.F. Blenheims of No. 139 Squadron to attack a column on the road from Maastricht to Tongres. Running into the swarms of fighters previously reported over the area, they lost all but two of their number—a disaster which ended the life of the A.A.S.F. Blenheims as a useful force before it had begun, for the other squadron (No. 114) had been virtually destroyed on its airfield the previous day.
Blenheim N6215: Took off at 05:00 hrs from Plivot (Fr.) briefed to bomb and strafe enemy troop columns advancing from Maastricht towards Tongeren. Shot down by Bf 109s near Lanaken (Limburg), Belgium.
Crew:
F/O (39200) Andrew McPHERSON DFC (pilot) RAF - killed in action
Sgt (580512) Francis Wynell GREGORY (Obs.) RAF - killed in action
LAC (551639) Hubert Frank OVER (WOp/AG) RAF - killed in action
N6215 was the Blenheim that carried out Bomber Command's first operational sortie of the war on 3 September 1939. Airborne within an hour of war being declared at 11:00 am and operating at 20,000 feet, the crew spotted a number of capital ships with a heavy destroyer escort. Unfortunately, its W/T warning message was completely garbled and no action was taken. The crew on this epic occasion was: Flying Officer Andrew McPherson (the same pilot as listed as above) Commander Thompson RN and Corporal Arrowsmith "
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1977 p 37)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/283: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142132
3. https://kenfentonswar.com/139-jamaica-squadron/
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?2100-Blenheim-N6215-s-code-letters
5. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/the-first-briton-to-die-in-ww2.14664/#post-164360
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2777731/mcpherson,-andrew/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2777509/gregory,-francis-wynell/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2777827/over,-hubert-frank/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanaken
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Jun-2019 00:23 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 28-Jun-2019 05:47 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation