Date:	Tuesday 14 May 1940
Time:	16:00 LT
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	226 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5438
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Le Mont Dieu, near Sedan, Ardennes -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Champagne Aerodrome, Rheims, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I L5438 (MQ-D), 226 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return from combat operations on 14 May 1940. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry File on the incident (File AIR 81/376): "Battle L5438 crashed at Mont Dieu, France, 14 May 1940. Sergeant W A Dunn, Sergeant A F Sedgwick and Aircraftman 2nd Class M B Millar, 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 of the six Fairey Battles sent into combat (K9343, P2267, K9383 and L5438)

Battle L5438 was airborne at 15:25 from Reims/Champagne to attack bridges and roads in the area around Mouzon. Shot down by flak/AAA and crashed in allied-held territory at Le Mont Dieu. All three crew were killed, and buried initially at Le Mont Dieu, near Sedan, Ardennes, being re-interned post war (In January 1947) at Choloy War Cemetery.

Crew of Battle L5438:
Flight Sergeant (Pilot) William Alfred Dunn, RAF 563086, killed in action 14/05/1940
Sergeant (Observer) Arthur Francis Sedgwick, RAF 523566, age 31, killed in action 14/05/1940
Aircraftman 2nd Class (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Michael Benedict Millar, RAF 616790, age 24, killed in action 14/05/1940

All three crew fatalities were buried (post war in January 1947) at Choloy War Cemetery, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France. The crash location of Le Mont-Dieu is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France, at approximate co ordinates: 49°32′52″N 4°51′59″E

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (Jam es J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 35)
2. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p 151)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/376: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502263
4. http://aircrewremembered.com/dunn-william.html
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2319709/dunn,-william-alfred/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2319943/sedgwick,-arthur-francis/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2319855/millar,-michael-benedict/
8. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=187196&postcount=2
9. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/226_squadron.html#1405
10. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/19.htm
11. http://39-45.auzeau.fr/france/54-meurthe-et-moselle/54-choloy-war-cemetery-10/
12. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=208

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Jul-2019 15:20	Dr. John Smith	Added
17-Jul-2019 10:16	DG303	Updated [Operator]