ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226754
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| Date: | Sunday 12 May 1940 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 18 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L8861 |
| MSN: | WV-J |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Kanne, 14 km ENE of Tongeren, Limburg -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Méharicourt, Somme department, Hauts-de-France |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L8861 (WV-J) 18 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost on combat operations. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/314): "Blenheim L8861 crashed at Kanne, near Maastricht, The Netherlands, 12 May 1940. Sergeant H D Welch, Leading Aircraftman K Parry and Pilot Officer C Bellis: report of deaths".
L8861 took part in the first big attack on the German mainland (the area of Mönchengladbach), with aircraft from 49 Squadron, 51 Squadron, 58 Squadron. and 77 Squadron. Airborne 2030 from Méharicourt, Somme department, Hauts-de-France. Crashed near Kanne (Limburg), 14 km ENE of Tongeren, Belgium. Cause not established, but probably shot down by flak/AAA. All three crew killed
Crew of Blenheim L8861:
Flying Officer (Pilot) Charlie Bellis, RAF 39847, killed in action 12/05/1940
Sergeant Horace David. Welch (Observer), RAF 565950, killed in action 12/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Kenneth Parry, RAF 550953, age 20, killed in action 12/05/1940,
All three crew fatalities were buried at Cement House Cemetery, Langemark, Belgium. Kanne (Limburgish: Kan) is a village in the municipality of Riemst in the southeastern part of the Belgian province of Limburg at approximate Coordinates: 50°48′49″N 5°40′27″E
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 60)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/314: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142163
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2252715/bellis,-charlie/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2252726/welch,-horace-david/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2252723/parry,-kenneth/
6. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/18_squadron.html
7. http://www.belgians-remember-them.eu/squadron1-50.php#18%20Squadron
8. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=31609&postcount=2
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanne
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 1 August 1942 | V6432 | 18 Sqn RAF | 3 | Kevelaer, Nordrhein-Westfalen |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Jul-2019 20:13 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 04-Jul-2019 06:40 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 11-Nov-2022 08:16 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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