Date:	Thursday 16 May 1940
Time:	16:30
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	53 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L4852
MSN:	PZ-B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Aircraft missing
Location:	Missing - Glisy, Amiens, Somme -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Poix-de-Picardie, France
Destination airport:	Glisy, Amiens, France (LFAY)

Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim IV L4852 (PZ-B) 53 Squadron, RAF: Operation: Reconnaissance. Lost: 16/05/1940 when failed to return from sortie. All three crew survived but were injured/badly burned. According to the official Air Ministry Report into the incident (file AIR 81/388): "Blenheim L4852 accidentally shot down by Hurricane P2551, 16 May 1940. Flight Lieutenant B B St George Daly, Aircraftman 2nd Class P J Blandford and Sergeant W R B Currie injured".

Took off from Poix. Damaged by anti-aircraft fire from Allied troops, then attacked in error by Sgt Crozier of 85 Squadron near Amiens in Hurricane P2551. (In other words, a "friendly fire incident"). Crashed and burned out during emergency belly-landing at Glisy, Amiens, at 16.30 hrs. during landing approach.

Crew:
Flight Lt B.B. St George Daly RAF 25070 (pilot) - badly burned
Sgt W.R.B. Currie (Observer) - badly burned
AC.2 P.J. Blandford RAF 621182 (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) - badly burned

According to an extract from "United in Effort - The Story of No.53 Squadron" by Jock Manson the sad events that befell the crew and particularly the pilot:

"At 14:30, Flight Lt Daly took off in L4852 on a photography sortie. For the second day in succession, he was attacked by a British Hurricane. He tried to land at the Hurricanes base at Glisy but was attacked again on final approach, despite firing the colours of the day. He was forced to overshoot but finally did manage to land wheels-up on the airfield but not before the Blenheim caught fire.

On being quizzed about why he had ignored the firing of the colours of the day, the Hurricane pilot stated that he thought they were firing a cannon at him! F/L B.B. St. George Daly, Sgt W.R.B. Currie and AC.2 P.J.Blandford were badly burned and returned to England for medical treatment. The squadron based at Poix at the time, moving to Crecy three days later."

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999
2. National Archibes (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/388): https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502275
3. Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/53_squadron.html
5. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/09622.php
6. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=58536&postcount=415 .

Bristol Blenheim Mk IV L4842 being flown by test pilot Bill Pegg near Filton, 29 May 1939. The aircraft served with No. 53 Squadron and was shot down on 17 May 1940 over France.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Mar-2008 06:24	JINX	Added
02-Jan-2012 09:35	Uli Elch	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Source, Damage, Narrative]
27-Jan-2012 13:22	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source]
23-Jul-2013 15:35	JINX	Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
16-Oct-2013 04:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Registration, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
15-Dec-2014 10:37	Jixon	Updated [Operator, Embed code, Narrative]
09-Oct-2018 18:52	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator]
16-Jul-2019 00:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
16-Jul-2019 00:52	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
16-Jul-2019 00:57	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Embed code]
18-Apr-2022 05:40	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]