ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 54076
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| Date: | Sunday 12 May 1940 |
| Time: | 09:15 LT |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 15 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L8847 |
| MSN: | LS-P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Borgharen, Maastricht, Limburg -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire |
Bristol Type 142M/L, Blenheim Mk.IV L8847, LS-P, operation: Maastricht. lost: 12/05/1940 (3 crew KIA). According to the official Air Ministry flie on the incident (File AIR 81/288): "Blenheim L8847 crashed at Borghaven (Limburg), near Maastricht, The Netherlands, 12 May 1940. Flying Officer T G Bassett, Sergeant N C Middlemass and Leading Aircraftman W T Cavanagh, report of deaths".
Crew of Blenheim L8847:
Flying Officer (NZ40781) Thomas G. BASSETT (pilot, aged 22) RNZAF - killed
LAC (542287) William T. CAVANAGH (Wireless Op./Air Gunner, aged 22) RAF - killed
Sgt (580461) Neville C. MIDDLEMASS (Observer, aged 26) RAF - killed
L8847 was one of seven 15 Squadron Blenheims lost on this operation. Airborne at 07:50 hrs from Alconbury briefed to destroy the strategic bridges on the Albert Kanaal. Crashed at Borghaven (Limburg) between the River Maas and the Juliana Kanaal, 3 km N of Maastricht. 15 Squadron lost six aircraft in this operation (half the squadron) and thirteen crew (five survived to be taken as PoWs). L8847 was damaged by Flak at 09:16 hrs local time.
All three crew fatalities were buried at Maastricht General Cemetary, Maarstricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/288: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142137
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2961995/bassett,-thomas-george/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2961998/cavanagh,-william-timothy/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2962016/middlemass,-neville-craig/
6. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/15_squadron.html
7. https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T0540&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
8. http://aircrewremembered.com/frankish-claude-randolph.html
9. http://www.taskforceliberty.be/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/De-Blenheim-van-Kattevennen-1.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 09-Feb-2014 13:25 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 09-Oct-2018 17:13 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 28-Jun-2019 19:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Mar-2020 11:55 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Mar-2020 11:56 | TigerTimon | Updated [Narrative] |
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