ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 2661
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| Date: | Monday 16 October 1939 |
| Time: | 11:30 |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 57 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L1141 |
| MSN: | UX-N |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Lingen, Ems, Niedersachsen -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Etain, Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. |
| Etain, Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Tasked with a reconnaissance mission over the Wesel-Bocholt area of Germany, Pilot Officer Michael James Casey took off from the airfield at Etain, Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, at 11:00 hours on Monday 16 October 1939 flying a Bristol Blenheim Mark I (serial L1141/UX-N). His observer was Sergeant Alfie Fripp RAF and his wireless operator/air gunner Aircraftman 1st Class J. Nelson RAF.
A Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109 flown by Leutnant Hans-Folkert Rosenboom of Jagdgeschwader 1 (Fighter Wing 1) intercepted the Blenheim and, after a long chase sometimes only 6 feet from the ground, shot it down near Lingen (Ems) in Lower Saxony. All three airmen scrambled clear of the wreckage before it burst into flames. P/O Casey was Issued with prisoner of war number 24
Crew:
Pilot:Flying Offcer 39024 Michael James Casey RAF PoW No.24.
Sgt 565033 Alfred G. Fripp RAF PoW No.5752.
AC.1 539817 J. Nelson RAF PoW No.5755.
For the famous "Great Escape" operation of 1944, Michael Casey was the treasurer, head of filing and, most importantly, arranged safe concealment of forged documents in caches around the camp avoiding the repeated and intensive German searches. Casey was one of the 76 men who escaped the Stalg Luft III prison camp on the night of 24–25 March 1944 in the escape now famous as "the Great Escape".
He cleared the tunnel and headed south with another escapee. Both were dressed in civilian clothes and posing as foreign war workers. When stopped near Görlitz by police, their papers did not stand up to scrutiny and they were arrested and held with other re-captured escapees in the town jail. On 31 March 1944, six re-captured prisoners (Casey, Ian Cross, Tom Leigh, George Wiley, the badly frostbitten Al Hake and John Pohe) were taken from Görlitz prison in black Gestapo sedans.
According to Gestapo agent, Scharpwinkel, another agent named Lux then informed them that they had been sentenced to death by order of the Supreme Military Commander, Adolf Hitler. The prisoners were shot beside the autobahn near Halbau and their bodies cremated at Görlitz.
Casey was one of the 50 escapers executed and murdered by the Gestapo. Originally, his remains were buried at Sagan, but he is now buried in part of the Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. The Glasgow Herald of 19 May 1944 published an early list naming several officers, including Casey.
Sources:
1. Air-Britain: Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J Halley)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/29: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142112
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_James_Casey#War_service
4. https://57-630sqnassoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016-Newsletter.pdf
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 17 May 1940 | P4851 | 82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF | 2 | Missing near Gembloux, Namur |  |
mis |
| 8 June 1940 | R3618 | 82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF | 1 | Éplessier, 3 km NW of Poix-de-Picardie, Somme, Hauts de France |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Feb-2008 02:48 | JINX | Added |
| 22-Jun-2008 21:37 | JINX | Updated |
| 26-Jun-2013 19:20 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative] |
| 17-Jul-2013 19:51 | JINX | Updated [Operator, Location, Source] |
| 16-Aug-2013 02:47 | JINX | Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
| 16-Aug-2013 02:48 | JINX | Updated [[Aircraft type, Source]] |
| 15-Dec-2014 10:55 | Jixon | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 06-Oct-2018 15:21 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 02-Jun-2019 23:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 02-Jun-2019 23:27 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time] |
| 15-Apr-2020 18:42 | TB | Updated [Location] |
| 15-Apr-2020 18:44 | TB | Updated [Time, Source, Embed code] |
| 22-Jun-2022 04:57 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 22-Jun-2022 05:05 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 22-Jun-2022 05:10 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 23-Jun-2022 08:42 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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