Date:	Wednesday 15 May 1940
Time:	12:25
Type:	Hawker Hurricane Mk 1
Owner/operator:	73 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P2856
MSN:	TP-J
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Bois de Voncq, north of Vouziers, Ardennes -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Champagne Aerodrome, Rheims, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Hawker Hurricane P2856 (TP-J) 73 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat air patrol over Namur, Belgium. Pilot bailed out, and was injured. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/400): "Flying Officer N Orton: injured; Hurricane P2856 hit east of Reims, France, 15 May 1940"

One of five Hurricanes lost by No 73 Squadron this day. This aircraft was shot down in combat with Bf110s of III./ZG26 and crashed into the Bois de Voncq, north of Vouziers, Ardennes, France, at 12.25pm. According to a biography of the pilot (see link #9)

"...but then came the 15th of May 1940. Orton was on that day in a combat along with six members of his Hurricane Squadron, which twice fought with faster Bf 110 fighters, indeed the Dornier 215 was also faster than these early Hurricanes. The pilots first encountered the Bf 110 fighters from 3/ZG 2 and Orton downed an aircraft piloted by Ltn. F. Mentzel. He was with his gunner Gefr. Oechsle and was captured. Their plane landed in woods at Boult-au-Bois.

After about half an hour in combat with Bf 110s, Orton managed to shoot a Messerschmitt down from a claimed three from 73 Squadron, and one probably destroyed, but then Newell "Fanny" Orton's Hurricane - P2579 TP-J - was hit and set on fire, which was the fate of so many Hurricane pilots in 1940.

Orton was burned and injured, in big trouble as he left the Hurricane at a suicidal height of around six hundred feet on a parachute, just getting his chute open in time but during the descent shots were fired at him by several French soldiers. Fortunately these Frenchmen were close to the British soldiers who saved him from further violence. Badly burned, Orton was then quickly transferred to a hospital in Bétheniville, where he was subsequently evacuated to Britain.

His injuries were apparently more serious, because the recovery period was extended, and Orton was not fit enough to fight in the Battle of Britain. In early July 1940, for his courage and achievements in fighting in France, he was awarded the bar to the earlier DFC and Orton became the first pilot in World War II to receive this award twice."

Crew of Hurricane P2856
Flying Officer Newell "Fanny" Orton, RAF 39330 - Wounded In Action

Note that the official Air Ministry records state that the aircraft involved was Hurricane P2856, and the pilot involved was F/O Newell Orton. However, other, unofficial, published sources state that the aircraft involved was Hurricane Mk.I P2579, and the pilot involved was Sgt Thomas 'Tich' Pyne, who baled out of his aircraft, but he was found dead.

As for F/O Newell Orton, he survived this incident (as described above) and returned to service. He was killed in action
as a Squadron Leader with 54 Squadron on 17 September 1941, flying in Spitfire W3772

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 15)
2. Norman L.R. Franks, Fighter Command Losses, Vol 1, 1939-1941, Second edition, Midland, 2008
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/400: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502071
4. http://dunkirk1940.org/index.php?&p=1_203
5. https://www.armedconflicts.com/-t79147
6. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=309
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1803653/orton,-newell/
8. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/73_squadron.html#1505
9. http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=244414;article=7460;

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Jul-2019 17:53	Dr. John Smith	Added
18-Jul-2019 10:47	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]