Date:	Tuesday 14 May 1940
Time:	16:00 LT
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	226 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P2267
MSN:	MQ-N
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Douzy, 8 km ESE of Sedan, Ardennes -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Champagne Aerodrome, Rheims, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I P2267 (MQ-N) 226 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 14 May 1940 when lost (failed to return) from combat operations. Two of the three crew were killed, one survived, was captured and taken as PoW. According to the official Air Ministry File on the incident (File AIR 81/371): "Battle P2267 crashed near Sedan, France, 14 May 1940. Squadron Leader C E S Lockett, prisoner of war. Sergeant F J Percival and Corporal R S Clark, 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 Bf 109's were present and 226 Squadron lost four out of the six Fairey Battles dispatched (K9343, K9383, L5438 and P2267).

Fairey Battle P2267 was airborne at 15:25 from Reims/Champagne to attack bridges and roads in the area around Sedan. Shot down by ground fire at 16.00 during an attack on bridge at Douzy., two of the three crew killed, one survived to be taken as a PoW.

Crew of Battle P2267:
Squadron Leader C.E.S. Lockett; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 9AH/L1/04C, as PoW No.409.
Sergeant Frederick J. Percival, RAF 562846, age 27, missing action 14/05/1940, presumed killed
Corporal Robert S. Clark, RAF 537378, missing in action 14/05/1940, presumed killed

The two "missing, presumed killed in action" airmen were never found, and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 13)
2. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p 166)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/371: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502258
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1804190/percival,-frederick-john/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1084482/clark,-robert-stanley/
6. http://aircrewremembered.com/dunn-william.html
7. https://forum.keypublishing.com/forum/historic-aviation/128127-tracing-my-grandfathers-past-226-squadron-fairey-battle
8. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/P.htm
9. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=187196&postcount=2 .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
13-Jul-2019 02:51	Dr. John Smith	Added
14-Jul-2019 10:21	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
15-Jul-2019 14:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source]
30-Jun-2022 04:57	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]