ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226824
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| Date: | Tuesday 14 May 1940 |
| Time: | 17:45 LT |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 110 (Hyderabad) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L9214 |
| MSN: | VE-K |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Sedan, Ardennes -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wattisham, Suffolk |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9224 (VE-K) 110 Squadron, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when lost on combat operations 14 May 1940. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/333): "Blenheim L9214 crashed near Sedan, France, 14 May 1940. Flying Officer G O M Wright, Sergeant J Fancy and Leading Aircraftman W W Street: prisoners of war".
An attack by Blenheim squadrons of UK-based 2 Group, 21 Squadron, 107 Squadron and 110 Squadron were tasked with 30 Blenheims to bomb targets at Sedan and were provided with a fighter escort by the RAF and French Air Force. The aircraft of 107 Squadron all bombed enemy columns despite being subjected to moderate flak, which damaged five aircraft. All returned to base. 110 Squadron encountered Bf 109s and intense flak whilst making low level bombing attacks on enemy columns losing five of their number.
Blenheim L9214 was Airborne at 16:50 from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk. Reportedly written off when belly landed near Sedan, France. All three crew survived, but were captured and taken as PoWs
Crew of Blenheim L9214:-
Flying Officer Gordon Ormson Manley Wright RAF/40279; survived, captured, taken as PoW and interned in Camp L3, PoW No.599.
Sgt John Fancy RAF/524851; survived, captured, taken as PoW and interned in Camps 12A/8B/L1/L3/L6, PoW No.13081
LAC William Wilson Street RAF/539339; survived, captured, taken as PoW and interned in Camps 12A/8B/L1/L3/L6, PoW No.21990
Sgt. J Fancy and LAC W.W. Street took part in an abortive tunnel escape from PoW Camp L6 on 29 August 1943. John Fancy (9 March 1913–16 September 2008) was a British former airman whose tunnelling escapes from various German prisoner of war camps during World War II earned him the nickname The Mole, and inspired the book and film "The Great Escape"
In all Fancy escaped from custody some sixteen times, and constructed eight separate tunnels from various camps, using a German-issued steel table knife as his principal tool. The knife became his prized possession after the war. As an escapee he had many adventures, including being captured by an extermination squad and being subjected to three mock executions.
Though he was Britain's most prolific tunnel-digger and once got as far as a boat off the Baltic coast, he was recaptured every time and was finally repatriated in April 1945 when his camp was liberated by the advancing Allied forces. He later observed: "After four years, 10 months and four days I landed back in England after taking off on what should have been a four-hour flight." He was Mentioned in Dispatches for his conduct.
Fancy published two books about his experiences in the war: Tunnelling to Freedom (Panther, 1957, ASIN B0007JJ9IS) and Flights of Fancy (Navigator, 1986, ISBN 0-902830-65-1). He died on 16 September 2008 at Slapton, Devon, aged 95.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (Jam es J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 61)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/333: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502327
3. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/110_squadron.html
4. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=27421
5. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1920
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fancy
7. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 23 June 1940 | L8754 | 110 (Hyderabad) Sqn RAF | 3 | Spaarnwouderdijk at Amsterdam, Noord-Holland |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Jul-2019 21:30 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 08-Jul-2019 05:55 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 17-Sep-2019 15:53 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 15-Mar-2024 15:47 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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