Date:	Monday 27 May 1940
Time:	10:20 LT
Type:	Westland Lysander
Owner/operator:	26 Sqn RAF
Registration:	N1243
MSN:	RM-D
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Calais, Pas de Calais, Nord Department -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Hawkinge
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Westland Lysander Mk.II N1243 (RM-D) 26 Sqaudron, RAF: Written off (presumed destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a Supply Drop Operation over the Calais area on 27 May 1940. Both crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident: "Lysander N1243 crashed at Calais, France, 27 May 1940. Temporary Sergeant T McLoughlin and Pilot Officer J H Deas: report of death".

Took off from RAF Lympne, Kent with three other aircraft for short hop to Hawkinge at 05:10. Took off for this operation at 09:35 with three other aircraft from Hawkinge. Crashed near Calais at 10.20 hrs. Cause of crash unknown, but possibly shot down by Flak/AAA, as a supply drop would have required the Lysander to fly "low and slow" in order to get the supplies to the target area.

Crew of Lysander N1243:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) James H. Deas, RAF 33539, age 21, killed in action 27/05/1940
Sergeant Terence McLoughlin, (Air Gunner) RAF 551464, age 19, killed in action 27/05/1940

Both crew fatalities were buried at Calais Southern Cemetery, Calais, Pas de Calais, France

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1977 p 6)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/591: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502229
3. Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=4383
5. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/26_squadron.html#2705
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2214608/deas,-james-henderson/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2214668/mcloughlin,-terence/
8. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/links/rememb/ROH/33.htm
9. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/lysander-pilots-calais-27th-may-1940.13913/#post-155577
10. National Archives Kew Squadron 26 ORB Record of Events AIR27-317-6 page 56

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
15-Feb-2011 14:06	ThW	Added
10-Jul-2015 19:05	DG333	Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
10-Jul-2015 19:09	H.Shaft	Updated [Registration, Cn, Narrative]
18-Aug-2019 22:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
18-Aug-2019 22:25	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn]
21-Aug-2023 19:01	Redwine163	Updated [[Cn]]