ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 228777
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| Date: | Sunday 19 May 1940 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 |
| Owner/operator: | 615 (County of Surrey) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N2331 |
| MSN: | KW-L |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cambrai-Arras Road, near Haucourt, Pas-de-Calais 62 -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Norrent-Fontès, France |
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I N2331 (KW-L) 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat air patrol. Believed shot down, but pilot survived. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/742): "Flying Officer R D Pexton: injured; aircraft shot down near Cambrai, France, 19 May 1940"
Airborne from Norrent-Fontès, France, for a combat air patrol over Cambrai-Arras area. Shot down by Bf-109s north of Cambrai-Arras Road, near Haucourt (Pas-de-Calais), 12 km SE of Arras, France. According to a biography of the pilot for this period:
"Called up at the outbreak of war, he joined 615 Squadron at Croydon on 6th September 1939. He flew with the squadron to Merville, France on 15th November in a Gloster Gladiator. The squadron later re-equipped with Hawker Hurricanes.
He was shot down in Hurricane N2331 on 19th May 1940 and suffered a leg wound when he crash-landed near the Arras-Cambrai road. He spent four days reaching Dunkirk, having been reported missing. On 23rd May he was taken on board the hospital ship Worthing and landed at Newhaven the next day. He was admitted to hospital at Barnet, Hertfordshire.
He was then posted to No. 1 RAF Depot Uxbridge, as non-effective sick. He rejoined 615 Squadron at Kenley on 10th July, fit for flying duties".
Crew of Hurricane N2331:
Flying Officer Richard Dunning Pexton (pilot) wounded in action.
Richard Pexton was awarded the DFC (gazetted 16th February 1945). He was released from the RAF in 1945 as a Wing Commander and took charge of the family farm. Richard Pexton died on 16th January 1993,aged 80
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/742: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502626
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=744
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/615_squadron.html#1905
5. http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/Pexton.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Sep-2019 23:03 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 07-Sep-2019 09:06 | stehlík49 | Updated [Operator] |
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