Date:	Friday 31 May 1940
Time:	14:40
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	264 (Madras Presidency) Sqn RAF
Registration:	L6980
MSN:	30
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	English Channel, off Dunkirk, Pas de Calais -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Manston, Ramsgate, Kent
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Two Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.1s of 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, RAF were written off (damaged beyond repair) on 31 May 1940: Defiant L6961 and Defiant L6980 collided with each other during combat with Bf109's of III./JG26. L6980 broke up in flight over Dunkirk, Pas De Calais, France. According to the official file at the National Archives at Kew (File AIR81/738 - see link #4): "Sergeant S B Johnson: missing presumed dead; Defiant L6980 in air operations over Belgium, 31 May 1940

Pilot bailed out, air gunner also bailed out, but posted as "missing in action" later "killed in action" (presumed drowned after landing in the sea after bailing out; however, as his body was never found and never recovered, his fate will probably never been known).
Crew:
P/O (????) M H Young (pilot) RAF
Sgt (747782) Stanley Bernard Johnson (AG) RAF - killed

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. Air Battle for Dunkirk, 26 May–3 June 1940 By Norman Franks
3. The Battle Of France: Then And Now By Peter Cornwell p.399
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/738: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502622
5. 264 Squadron ORB (Operational Record Book)(Air Ministry Form AM/F.540) for the period 1/10/1939 to 31/5/1940: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/1553/1 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8397999
6. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1802168/stanley-bernard-johnson/
7. https://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/264-squadron-patrol-over-dunkirk-calais-friday-31st-may-1940.19870/#post-240196.
8. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/264_squadron.html#31
9. https://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=L6980&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
10. https://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/raf-losses-may-1940-an-update.16940/page-16#post-202731
11. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=52109
12. https://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=6445

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
03-Jul-2022 23:30	Dr. John Smith	Added
04-Jul-2022 21:34	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator]
04-Jul-2022 21:35	Nepa	Updated [Operator]