ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229576
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 19 May 1940 |
| Time: | 09:40 LT |
| Type: | Gloster Gladiator II |
| Owner/operator: | 33 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | REAF L9043 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Bugbug Aerodrome, between Sidi Barrani and Solum -
 Egypt
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Mersa Matruh, Egypt |
| Bugbug Aerodrome between Sidi Barrani and Solum, Egypt |
Gloster Gladiator Mk.II REAF L9043, 33 Squadron, RAF; Written off (destroyed) in a landing accident in Egypt. Pilot killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/964): "Gladiator L9043 crashed at Bugbug Aerodrome between Sidi Barrani and Solum, Egypt, 19 June 1940. Pilot Officer R L Green: report of death"
Egypt received under the Anglo-Egyptian Defence Agreement, 18 late-series Gladiators Mk.Is (serials L8005 and L8012-L8028) from RAF in March 1939. These were given the Egyptian serials K1331-K1348. The aircraft had been modified to Mk.II standard at 27 MU in January 1939.
In 1940 a further batch of Gladiators were purchased from Britain, these being ex-RAF N5875-N5892, Egyptian serials L9030-L9047. Additional Gladiators may have been passed on to the Egyptians but most of the serials are unknown (known aircraft are N5755, N5758, N5760, N5762, N5767 and N5771). The Gladiators were to be used by the 2 and 5 REAF Fighter Squadrons. At least seven of the surviving Egyptian aircraft were later returned to RAF, but apparently they retained their original Egyptian serials. One of then was REAF L9043 (ex-RAF N5888)
On June 19 1940, Four Gladiators, piloted by Squadron Leader Johnson, Flight Lt Hawkins, Flying Officer Lynch, and Sgt Green, took off to patrol over Sollum. With the Gladiators was the Hurricane piloted by Flying Officer Wykeham-Barnes. There were also two Blenheims present. Formation flying was rather difficult as there were three different aircraft with three different cruising speeds. When this unwieldy formation was over Sollum they encountered 5 CR42s and either 7 CR32s or RO37s.
Two of the CR42s were shot down by Wykeham-Barnes. The Gladiators accounted for a further two but lost Sgt Green when he was cornered by 3 Fiat CR42s and was shot down and killed despite some violent aerobatics. According to an Italian source (roughly translated into English):
"At 09:40, they sighted a formation of nine Fiat CR.42s (in other sources it is stated that it was five CR.42s and either seven CR.32s or Ro.37s). The Fiats were slightly below and to the port side of the British fighters, who were in an ideal position to make an attack.
Wykeham-Barnes shot down the leader of the Italian fighters whilst he was doing a vertical turn, with a short burst at full deflection. The Gladiators claimed two more CR.42s, but lost 24-year-old Sergeant Green (RAF No. 44754) when he was shot down despite some violent aerobatics.
The returning RAF pilots reported that although the enemy was superior in numbers, they lacked the aggression of the Gladiator pilots and gradually retreated towards the Libyan border. Wykeham-Barnes found it difficult to get his sights on the Fiats, because they were so very manoeuvrable, but eventually one of them made a mistake and he was able to get in a good burst of shells, which caused the CR.42 to dive away with smoke trailing behind it. He did not actually see it crash, but it was later confirmed as being destroyed by the ground forces. The Gladiators and the Hurricane were then forced to break off the combat by lack of petrol and ammunition. On their way back to Mersa Matruh they had to land at Sidi Barrani to refuel and rearm. The Gladiators were back at 10:10 and Wykeham-Barnes at 10:30".
Crew of Gladiator REAF L9043 (ex-N5888)
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Roy Leslie Green, RAF 44754, age 24, killed in action 19/06/1940, buried at Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, Egypt
Note that, just to confuse matters, the RAF allocated the serial L9043 to a Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV (the 128th of a batch of 130 serials between L8732 and L9044). Bristol Blenheim L9043 crashed at RAF Thorney Island, Hampshire on 28 December 1940
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977 p 35)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/964): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502415
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2116203/green,-roy-leslie/
4. http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/gladiator_egypt.htm
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/10794.php
6. http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/gladiator_raf_33.htm
7. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/33_squadron.html
8. http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_scaglioni.htm
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Oct-2019 20:50 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 02-Oct-2019 09:16 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation