ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229580
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| Date: | Friday 21 June 1940 |
| Time: | 16:30 LT |
| Type: | Bristol Beaufort Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 42 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L4486 |
| MSN: | AW-C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | North Sea, off Bergen -
 Norway
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland |
| RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland |
Bristol Beaufort Mk.I L4486 (AW-C) 42 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over Norway. All four crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/975): "Beaufort L4486 failed to return from attacking enemy shipping off the Norwegian coast, 21 June 1940. Sergeant F J Willoughby and Pilot Officer H J Seagrim: report of deaths. Leading Aircraftman J White and Leading Aircraftman C A Malcolm: missing presumed dead"
Take off at RAF Wick, Caithness, Scotland, at 14.25 hours. Target: the German Battle cruiser Scharnhorst in Trondheim Harbour, Norway. L4486 was one of three 42 Squadron Beauforts assigned to attack the Scharnhorst (L4486, L4501, and L9810).
L4486 was attacked by two Bf 109s of II./JG 77; an engine bust into flames and the aircraft crashed into the sea off Bergen, Norway. As stated above all four crew killed, but only the body of one of the crew was ever found, with the other three posted as "missing, presumed killed in action"
Crew of Beaufort L4486:
Flying Officer Herbert J. Seagrim, RAF 39176, posted 21/06/1940, as missing, believed killed in action
Sergeant (Pilot) Francis J. Willoughby, RAF 565351, age 26, killed in action 21/06/1940, buried at Bergen (Mollendal) Church Cemetery, Norway
Sergeant Colin A. Malcolm, RAF 523441, age 26, posted 21/06/1940, as missing, believed killed in action
Leading Aircraftman John White, RAF 627575, posted 21/06/1940, as missing, believed killed in action
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/975: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502426
3. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/42_squadron.html#2106
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2941073/seagrim,-herbert-john/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2186447/willoughby,-francis-john/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1079844/malcolm,-colin-alistair/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1531404/white,-john/
8. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/W.htm
9. http://aircrewremembered.com/barrie-smith-william.html .
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Oct-2019 23:24 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 01-Oct-2019 23:25 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 01-Oct-2019 23:31 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Oct-2019 10:18 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
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