ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 224087
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| Date: | Thursday 16 May 1940 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  Vickers Wellington Mk Ic |
| Owner/operator: | 115 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | P9229 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Plainville, between Bernay and Rouen, Eure, Normandy -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Marham, Norfolk |
| RAF Marham, Norfolk |
Vickers Wellington Mk.I P9229,("KO-S") 115 Squadron RAF. Lost on combat operations on night of 15-16.5.40: The aircraft left RAF Marham at 23:35 LT on a bombing mission to Duisburg. In the first large-scale Bomber Command attack on German industrial targets, 99 aircraft bomb 16 targets in the Ruhr area. This raid effectively marks the start of the Strategic Air Offensive against Germany. No aircraft are lost to enemy action, however, a Vickers Wellington of No.115 Squadron was blown off course and crashed into high ground at Plainville, Bernay, near Rouen, Eure, Normandy France (at approximate Coordinates: 49°05′08″N 0°30′00″E) and the five aircrew aboard were killed.
Crew (115 Squadron):
Flying Officer (Pilot) Herbert Perstyl Evans, RAF 40377
Corporal (Air Gunner) Reginald Frederick Fallows, RAF 518379
Sergeant (Navigator) Thomas Russell Kirkham, RAF 580599, age 21
Corporal (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Roger Colin John Pilgrim, RAF 531692, age 26
Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Alec Edward Pringle, RAF 37299, DFC,
All five crew are buried at Bernay Ste. Croix Communal Cemetery, Eure, France
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircharge P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 51)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File 81/385: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502272
3. http://www.bomber-command.info/c115wellloss.htm
4. https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/33710/
5. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vickers-408-wellington-ia-near-rouen-5-killed
6. https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/33709/
7. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/115_squadron.html
8. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=181
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plainville,_Eure
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320634/evans,-herbert-prestyl/
11. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320635/fallows,-reginald-frederick/
12. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320643/kirkham,-thomas-russell/
13. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320647/pilgrim,-roger-colin-john/
14. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2320649/pringle,-alec-edward/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Apr-2019 18:37 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 19-Apr-2019 10:37 | stehlik49 | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 15-Jul-2019 23:49 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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