Date:	Tuesday 13 August 1940
Time:	12:19 LT
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF
Registration:	R3800
MSN:	UX-X
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Limfjord, near Aalborg airfield, Fliegerhorst Aalborg West -   Denmark
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Watton, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV R3800 (UX-X) 82 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat operation on 13 August 1940. Of the three crew on board, one was killed and the other two were captured and taken as PoWs. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1367): "Blenheim R3800 crashed near Aalborg, Denmark, 13 August 1940. Flight Lieutenant T E Syms and Sergeant K H Wright: prisoners of war. Sergeant E V Turner: report of death"

According to a Danish source, translated into English (see link #4 for the original Danish text):

"A well known air battle took place over the airport on August 13th, 1940 when the Bristol Blenheim Mk IV bomber aircraft of the Royal Air Force 82 squadron attacked the German aircraft based there. The six aircraft of A-flight got through the flak and released their bombs. As B-flight followed about a minute later, the anti-aircraft fire had been adjusted. As soon as the A-flight had come through the anti-aircraft fire nine German fighters swooped on them.

All eleven attacking aircraft (R1933, R3800, R2772, R3821, R3829, R3904, T1827, R3802, T1934, R3913 and T1889) were shot down by either German anti-aircraft fire or Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft.

R3800 took part in the attack on Aalborg airfield, Fliegerhorst Aalborg West, on August 13, 1940. Two minutes later (at 12:19 hours), R3800 crashed into the Limfjord, close to the German seaplane landing area. Parachutes saved the lives of Flight Lt Syms and Sgt Wright. Sgt Turner was killed in the aircraft"

Crew of Blenheim R3800
Flight Lt T E A Syms (pilot) - survived, bailed out, captured, taken as PoW
Sergeant Edward Victor Turner (Wireless Op./Air Gunner, RAF Service Number 903333, aged 20) - killed in action 13/08/40, buried at Vadum Cemetery, Denmark
Sergeant K H Wright (observer) - survived, bailed out, captured, and taken as PoW

Ole Ronnest, a retired Danish police forensics officer, has devoted more than 30 years of his life to researching and recording the history of this and many other raids. He has been honoured for his work by the award of an MBE – an unusual honour for a foreign national, but reflecting the great admiration that everyone who has met him has.

In 1990 Ole organised the return of a propeller from Blenheim R3800 which crashed in the Limfjord (Aalborg Denmark, Aug 13th 1940) during this raid and which now stands at the old entrance to RAF Watton as a Memorial to All those of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Air Forces killed whilst operating from RAF Watton and Bodney.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Hallley, Air Britain, 1980 p 24)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1367: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14503054
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2271621/turner,-edward-victor/
4. crash location: https://findvej.dk/?longitude=9.87392&latitude=57.057&zoom=15&maptype=3
5. https://www.airmen.dk/p015.htm (Danish text)
6. http://www.sbap.be/events/2018/027aalborg2018/027aalborg2018.htm
7. http://ww2f.com/threads/notable-and-artistic-monuments-for-raf-crew.52563/page-4

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

13 June 1940	P6910	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	1	Courgivaux (Marne), 5 km WSW of Esternay,		w/o
4 April 1941	L9270	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	3	North Sea 30 km W of Bergen aan Zee, Noord-Holland		w/o
10 January 1942	V6440	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	3	Postweg / Schoolweg Soesterberg, Utrecht		w/o

This Memorial (photographed January 19 2010) is a Propeller from Blenheim R3800 of 82 Squadron which was shot down over Aalborg, Denmark on 13 August 1940 while operating out of Watton.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Nov-2012 01:31	Masen63	Added
03-Jun-2013 08:54	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport]
26-Sep-2018 09:09	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
11-Sep-2019 22:07	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
11-Sep-2019 22:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time]