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: | Tuesday 14 May 1940 |
Time: | 16:10 |
Type: | Fairey Battle Mk I |
Owner/operator: | 105 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | L5238 |
MSN: | GB-T |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Noyers-Pont-Maugis, 6 km south of Sedan, Ardennes. -
France
|
Phase: | Combat |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | Villeneuve-les-Vertus Aerodrome, Marne |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Fairey Battle L5238/T: Destroyed when lost (failed to return) from combat operations 14/05/1940.
According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (AIR 81/354): "Battle L5238 crashed at Noyers-Pont-Maugis, France, 14 May 1940. Leading Aircraftman H Hatton, Sergeant A C Morgan and Flying Officer R N Wall: report of deaths".
The events of 14th May 1940 determined both of the A.A.S.F. and of the campaign. 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.
Then came the turn of the A.A.S.F. Between 15:00 and 16:00 hrs the entire force of available Battles and Blenheims was flung against the same objectives. But the Bf.109's absent in the morning, were now on guard. No. 12 Squadron lost four aircraft out of five; No. 105 Squadron, seven out of eleven; No. 150 Squadron, four out of four; No. 139 Squadron, four out of six; No. 218 Squadron, ten out of eleven. In all, from the seventy-one bombers which took off, forty did not return. No higher rate of loss in an operation of comparable size has even been experienced by the Royal Air Force.
Fairey Battle L5238 too off at 15:40 hrs from Villeneuve-les-Vertus Aerodrome, 3.4 miles NE of Vertus, Marne, France. Shot down attacking a bridge, crashing near the hamlet of Noyers-Pont-Maugis (Ardennes), 6 km south of Sedan, France. All Three crew were killed.
Crew of Battle L5238:
P/O (37839) Richard Nap WALL (pilot) RAF : killed
Sgt (563340) Arthur Charles MORGAN (Obs.) RAF : killed
AC1 (531631) Harold HATTON (WOp/AG) RAF : killed
All three crew fatalities were buried at Donchery Communal Cemetery, Ardennes, France. The crash location of Noyers-Pont-Maugis is a French commune, located in the department of Ardennes in the region Grand Est (at approximate co ordinates 49°39'45" North, 4°56'17" East).
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 34)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File Air 81/353):
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502158 3. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p 146)
4.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689660/ridley,-frederick-heward/ 5.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689657/atkinson,-gordon/ 6.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689661/thomson,-james-samuel/ 7.
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/105_squadron.html#1405 8.
http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=213 9.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noyers-Pont-Maugis Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
10-Jul-2019 21:35 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
11-Jul-2019 09:22 |
stehlik49 |
Updated [Operator] |
30-Jun-2022 05:03 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Location] |