Date:	Tuesday 14 May 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	150 Sqn RAF
Registration:	K9483
MSN:	F.3071
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bulson, near River Muese, Le Petit Pont, Midrevaux, Ardennes -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Ecury-sur-Coole, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk I K9483 (JN-X) 150 Squadron, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when lost on combat operations 14 May 1940. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/329): "Battle K9483 failed to return from an operational flight, 14 May 1940. Aircraftman 2nd Class N V Vano, Pilot Officer A F Posselt and Sergeant D J Bowen: report of deaths".

The French High Command called for a supreme effort at Sedan, where the ground forces massing for counter-attack had been rudely scattered. Arrangements were accordingly made for the whole strength of the Allied bombers in France to be hurled against the Sedan bridgehead in a series of waves, and soon after noon the few French aircraft available went into action. Attacking bridges and columns of troops, they suffered losses so severe that their remaining operations for the day were cancelled.

In the afternoon all available Battles and Blenheims were dispatched to the same target. This time Bf109's were present and 150 Squadron lost, in air to air combat, all four of the Fairey Battles that were dispatched.

Battle K9483 was airborne at 15:20 hrs from Ecury-sur-Coole to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. Crashed at Bulson, near the River Muese, Le Petit Pont, Midrevaux, Ardennes. Thought to have been shot down by Uffz. Willi Ghesla of 2./JG 53 during an attack on a pontoon bridge across the River Muese. All three crew killed

Pilot Officer (Pilot) Arthur Francis Posselt, RAF 41319, age 21, killed in action 14/05/1940
Sergeant (Observer) Donald Joseph Bowen, RAF 581262, age 22, killed in action 14/05/1940
Aircraftman 2nd Class (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Norman Victor Vano, RAF 630788, age 18, killed in action 14/05/1940,

All three crew fatalities were buried at Choloy War Cemetery, France. P/O A.F.Posselt was a South African national, son of Mr and Mrs F. W. T. Posselt, of Mbabane, Swaziland. He was born on August 16th, 1918, and entered Plumtree School first as a day scholar attached to Lloyd House in January 1931. He left for a short period, re-entering in 1937, and finally leaving school in August 1938. On the Plumtree School Roll of Honour. The crash location of Bulson is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France at approximate Coordinates: 49°37′42″N 4°55′00″E.

1. The K File - The RAF of the 1930s (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1995 p.137)
2. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p.57/p.138)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) file AIR 81/329): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502323
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/150_squadron.html
5. http://aircrewremembered.com/posselt-arthur-francis.html
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2319897/posselt,-arthur-francis/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2319637/bowen,-donald-joseph/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320002/vano,-norman-victor/
9. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=210
10. Photo of wreckage: http://www.bibert.fr/Joseph_Bibert_fichiers/Many%20SOUFFAN%20-%20Avions%20177.pdf p 27
11. Crash site "then and now": http://lepiegedesedan.e-monsite.com/pages/du-texte-mission-de-l-escadron-n-150.html
12. http://39-45.auzeau.fr/france/54-meurthe-et-moselle/54-choloy-war-cemetery-8/
13. http://www.southafricawargraves.org/search/details.php?id=20524
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulson
15. https://travellinginacampervan.wordpress.com/2020/04/11/my-next-planned-trip-was-to-visit-the-grave-of-uncle-donald-j-bowen-150-squadron-who-died-14-05-1940-in-sedan-france/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Jul-2019 18:53	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Jul-2019 05:46	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
04-Oct-2019 21:45	angels one five	Updated [Registration, Narrative]
25-Aug-2020 17:14	tom bowen	Updated [Country, Source]
25-Aug-2020 17:15	harro	Updated [Country]
25-Aug-2020 17:15	Anon.	Updated [Source]
29-Oct-2020 22:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Source, Narrative]