Date:	Friday 17 May 1940
Time:	06:30
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF
Registration:	P4898
MSN:	UX-Y
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Aircraft missing
Location:	Missing, Unknown -   Belgium
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Watton, Norfolk
Destination airport:	RAF Watton, Norfolk

Narrative:
Blenheim P4898/Y: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) on combat operations (Target: Gembloux, Belgium). All three crew were killed. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/407): " Blenheim P4898 failed to return from an operational flight, 17 May 1940. Sergeant A N Phillips, Leading Aircraftman P R V Ettershank and Pilot Officer S Christensen, missing presumed dead"

On 17th May, 1940, twelve aircraft of 82 Squadron, based at Watton, in Norfolk, took off to attack troop concentrations at Gembloux, Belgium, where the German army was sweeping West towards the Channel ports. Blenheim P4898 (UX-Y) was airborne at 04:50 hrs from RAF Watton, Norfolk. One of the 12 Blenheims lost by 82 Squadron on this operation.

They were supposed to have a Hurricane fighter escort but they were intercepted before the escort arrived, and they had to proceed without their escorts. As they reached their target, 15 German Bf-109 fighters attacked them.

Eleven of them were shot down and the sole survivor (Blenheim Mk.IV P8858, UX-W), which was badly damaged, managed to reach RAF Watton, Norfolk, but it was written off due to the damage sustained.
Shot down by BF109's I/JG3 at 08:20?
Crew:
Pilot: 76458 Plt Off Severin Christensen - Runnymede Memorial Panel 7.
Observer: 580524 Sgt Alfred Norman Phillips - Runnymede Memorial Panel 18.
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner: 551709 LAC Peter Raymond Victor Ettershank - Runnymede Memorial Panel 23.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 26)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/407: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502078
3. The Squadron That Died Twice - The story of No. 82 Squadron RAF by By Gordon Thorburn
4. The Bomber Command War Diaries: An Operational Reference Book By Chris Everitt, Martin Middlebrook
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1084402/christensen,-severin/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1804285/phillips,-alfred-norman/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1269669/ettershank,-peter-raymond-victor/
8. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/82_squadron.html#1705
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gembloux
10. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?11638-P-O-Severin-Christensen-(76458-RAFVR)

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

27 June 1940	R3731	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	2	Woudenbergseweg 54, Zeist, Utrecht		w/o
12 August 1941	T2437	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	3	Strijensas, Zuid-Holland		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Jan-2012 10:17	Uli Elch	Added
17-Jul-2019 23:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
18-Jul-2019 10:49	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
01-Jan-2021 16:31	INV	Updated [Location, Narrative, Operator]
15-Jun-2022 08:55	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
10-Nov-2022 07:25	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
12-Nov-2022 23:46	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]