Date:	Monday 17 November 1941
Time:	02:00 LT
Type:	Bristol Bombay Mk I
Owner/operator:	216 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5847
MSN:	SH.40
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Tawīlat al Ghazālah, Nuqat al Khams, near Gazala -   Libya
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Heliopolis, Alamza, Cairo, Egypt
Destination airport:	RAF Heliopolis, Alamza, Cairo, Egypt

Narrative:

The above aircraft and crew took off from base at Fuka Satellite on the night
of 16/17.11.l, to drop parachute troops in the Tmimi - El Gazala area, The air­
craft was shot down and crashed in a shallow dive about l0 miles east of El Gazala,
approximately 500 yards from the coast.

2. The airraft did not catch fire and most of the oooupants were able to get
clear of the wreckage, The Germans surrounded the orashed airoraft and took these
in two groups to Field Dressing Stations. One group containing LAC.Gowing, ACl,
Humphries, and three or four parachutists were taken to a dressing station, and later
put in a hospital tent, where Humphries lay unconscious until finally he died. The
remainder of the crew, including Sgt. Heard and Flt/Sgt.West were taken to another
dressing station.

3. In Questionnaires received from Sgt. Heard, F/S. West and LAC.Gowing, who are
now all SAFE in the U.K., it is stated that Sgt. Pott appeared to be dead by the
side of the wreckage, another statement says that Sgt. Pott died in a Field
Hospital at El Gazala, and was buried with P/O Martin on 17.11,Al at El Gazala.

4. All of this crew and passengers are now SAFE, with the exception of AC1.
HUMPHRIES, P/O MARTIN and SGT.POIT. ACl.HUMPHRIES was buried in Derna (Lighthouse)
Cem. and is now concentrated to Benghasi M.C. 8 - E - 27. P/O Martin was buried
at M.R.36554459 Sh. 18 N.W. 1/50,000 (supposedly the site of the crash) and is now
concentrated to Acroma (Knightsbridge) Cemetery, 8 - H - 3.

5. In view of the fact that Sgt. Pott is stated to have been buried with P/O
Martin at El Gazala, it is highly probable that he may be also buried in Aoroma
(Knightsbridge) Cem. If however Pott was taken to a Field Hospital, he may have
been buried in Behghasi M.C. together with ACl. Humphries.

Excerpt from official letter dated 28 Nov 1947
from
P. TENNISON
Wing Commander ,Commanding.
No.5 M.R.E.U. R.A.F.C.M.F.
to
Air Ministry (s.14 Cas.)
2, Seville Street,
London, S.W.1.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-bristol-130-bombay-near-tawilat-al-ghazalah
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1282225/pott,-john-henry/
4. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10320997
5. National Australian Archives POTT John Henry - (Sergeant); Service Number - 400122; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Bombay L5847; Place - Middle East; Date - 16 November 1941

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

27 August 1940

L5849

216 Sqn RAF

5

Tobruk

w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
30-Mar-2008 22:47	JINX	Added
04-Oct-2018 14:22	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Phase, Operator]
20-Apr-2019 20:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
20-Apr-2019 22:19	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
19-Dec-2020 08:35	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative, Photo]