Date:	Wednesday 29 May 1940
Time:	c.
Type:	Fairey Swordfish Mk 1
Owner/operator:	825 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	L9740
MSN:	F3484
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Dunkirk,, -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Detling, Kent, England
Destination airport:	-

Narrative:
The 825 Sqn. Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy, Swordfish L9740 'G5-?', on a bombing mission from RAF Detling, Kent, England, was shot down over northern France and crash landed near Dunkirk. Pilot, Lieutenant, Alexander Desmond Neely and Air Gunner, Naval Airman, F. G. Rumsey became prisoners of war, being liberated in May 1945.
Pilot, Lieutenant, Neely was one of 76 airmen that escaped from POW Camp, Stalag Luft III, Sagan in Poland on the night of March 24-25,1944 and one of the 23 airmen recaptured and remaining prisoners of war until repatriated in 1945, but 50 airmen were recaptured and executed by the Gestapo with only 3 airmen managed to escape to freedom. This event led to the making of the epic Hollywood film " The Great Escape" starring Steve McQueen.

Dunkirk evacuation May 1940 (naval-history.net)
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Flying Personnel 1939 - 1947 (aircrewremembered.com)
World War 2 - FAA No. 825 Squadron, May/June 1940 (epibreren.com)
Námořní letci Jeho Veličenstva proti Blitzkriegu (3. díl) (valka.cz)
Lt Alexander Desmond NEELY, No. 825 Squadron (rafcommands.com)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
05-Dec-2020 02:57	Peter Clarke	Added
08-Jan-2021 18:28	Peter Clarke	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn]