ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226879
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| Date: | Tuesday 14 May 1940 |
| Time: | 18:30 LT |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 110 (Hyderabad) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L9217 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Torcy, W of Sedan, Ardennes -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wattisham, Suffolk |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9217 (VE-L) 110 Squadron, RAF: Written off (damaged beyond repair) when lost (failed to return) on combat operations on 14 May 1940. One of the three crew was killed, the other two were captured, and taken as PoWs. Accoarding to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/334): "Blenheim L9217 crashed near Sedan, France, 14 May 1940. Aircraftman 2nd Class P Aherne, Sergeant R Lowe and Flying Officer E R Mullins: prisoners of war;
Blenheim squadrons of UK based 2 Group. 21 Squadron, 107 Squadron and 110 Squadron tasked 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 L9217 was airborne at 16:50 from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk. Cause of loss not established, but probably shot down by intense flak/AAA. Crashed at Torcy (Ardennes) on the western outskirts of Sedan, France.
Crew of Blenheim L9217:
Pilot Officer Ernest Roy Mullins (Pilot) RAF/41865; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 9AH/06B, as PoW No.504
Sgt Ronald Lowe (Observer) RAF/581231; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 357, as PoW No 2669
Aircraftman 2nd Class (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Patrick Aherne, RAF 625621, age 20, killed in action 14/05/1940, buried at Sedan-Torcy French National Cemetery, Ardennes, France
The crash site at Torcy is a district of Sedan and a former French commune, located in the department of Ardennes in the Grand Est region at approximate co ordinates 49°42'04" north, 4°56'02" east.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/334: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502328
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689759/aherne,-patrick/
4. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/raf-losses-may-1940-an-update.16940/page-17#post-513207
5. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=228
6. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torcy_(Ardennes)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Jul-2019 22:02 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 08-Jul-2019 05:56 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 17-Sep-2019 15:53 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 22-Mar-2022 18:15 | Rob Davis | Updated [Narrative] |
| 30-Jun-2022 04:51 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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