Date:	Tuesday 14 May 1940
Time:	16:10 LT
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	218 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5422
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Noyers-Pont-Maugis, 6 km S of Sedan, Ardennes -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Aubérive-sur-Suippes, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I L5422 (HA-A) 218 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from combat operations on 14 May 1940. One crew member killed, one captured and taken as PoW. According to the official Air Ministry File on the incident (File AIR 81/355): "Battle L5422 crashed near Thelonne, France, 14 May 1940. Aircraftman 1st Class T W Holloway, prisoner of war. Flying Officer J F R Crane, report of death".

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 hours 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, six out of eleven; No. 142 Squadron lost four, 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 L5422 was airborne from Auberive-sur-Suippes to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. It was Shot down between Bulson and Noyers-Pont-Maugis (Ardennes), 6 km South of Sedan, Ardennes, France. One crew member killed, one taken as PoW.

Crew of Battle L5422:
Flying Officer (Pilot) John Frederick Ryder Crane, RAF 39858, killed in action 14/05/1940, buried at Noyers-Pont-Maugis French National Cemetery, Ardennes, France
AC.1 T.W. Holloway (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) - survived captured taken as PoW: interned in Camps 8B/L3, as PoW No.13060.

Note that, according to a published biography of the pilot, the actual crash location was slightly different to that on the official records, quote:

"John Frederick Ryder Crane was granted a short service commission on July 5th 1937 and was awarded his wings with No.9 Flying Training School. He was killed on the suicidal attack flown against German troop columns on May 14th 1940 while flying in Fairey Battle Mk.I L5422. His aircraft was shot down by Bf.109 fighters crashing between Bulson and Noyers-Pont-Maugis, 6 km south of Sedan, Ardennes. His gunner AC.1 Holloway survived as a PoW. John Crane was an original 218 Squadron member, he had flown to France in September 1939. Since his arrival in France he had been involved in two flying incidents, a force landing on January 12th 1940 and a crash landing on April 17th 1940".

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 35)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/355: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502159
3. The Battle File (Sidney Shail. Air Britain, 1997 p 150)
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689722/crane,-john-frederick-ryder/
5. https://218squadron.wordpress.com/flying-officer-john-frederick-ryder-crane-39858-raf/
6. Aircraft Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM 78): https://218squadron.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/l5422.jpg
7. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=218
8. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/218_squadron.html
9. http://39-45.auzeau.fr/france/08-ardennes/08-noyers-pont-maugis-necropole-nationale-2/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jul-2019 22:05	Dr. John Smith	Added
11-Jul-2019 09:23	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
30-Jun-2022 05:04	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]