Date:	Friday 10 May 1940
Time:	04:25
Type:	Hawker Hurricane Mk I
Owner/operator:	85 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L1779
MSN:	VY-S
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Location:	Mons-en-Chaussée, 8 km SE of Péronne, Somme, Hauts-de-France -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Lille/Seclin Airbase, France
Destination airport:	Lille/Seclin Airbase, France

Narrative:
The unstoppable German blitzkrieg was unleashed by Hitler on the 10 May 1940. At 04:10 hrs that morning crews were disturbed by the tremendous sound of numerous Luftwaffe engines overhead, combined with the thumping sounds of anti-aircraft fire being pumped into the air. Within minutes six Hurricanes took off from base to engage the enemy bombers. F/Lt Bob Boothby led his section from A Flight with P/O David Mawhood and F/O Ken Blair in tow. They engaged two Junkers Ju 88s at 12,000 feet near Grammont. Boothby fired two lengthy bursts of ammunition into one of the bombers which went down pouring oil with a dead engine. Mawhood witnessed the Ju 88’s descent but in turn his Hurricane was struck by fire from the second Junkers and perspex splinters blinded him in one eye. Mawhood retaliated by firing four bursts into the enemy machine despite his injury. Blair also attacked this aircraft with a few bursts of his own and watched heavy smoke pour from its starboard engine as it went down. The Ju 88 crew managed to bale out of their aircraft, but they were soon captured by Belgians and handed over to the British.

Flt Lt Dickie Lee was leading his section of B Flight, with F/O Derek Allen and P/O Patrick Woods-Scawen slightly on his wing tips. The three of them encountered a formation of Hs 126s and made various attacks but the results were inconclusive. Within forty minutes the six Hurricanes had engaged the enemy and returned to base to rearm and refuel. Patrick was back in the air at 07:30 hrs on a patrol with F/Lt Dickie Lee and F/O Allan Angus. A Ju 88 was spotted at 15,000 feet between Armentieres and the Fort-de-Nieppe and the Hurricanes gave chase. The bomber took evasive action and dived down to the deck with the rear-gunner firing continuously at the trio. Lee reported firing short bursts from close range but saw no apparent results except for black smoke issuing from one of its engines. Lee’s Hurricane was badly hit but he managed to get back to base without further incident. Angus also attacked the enemy aircraft and reported that after two bursts he ‘saw the rear gunner disintegrate’. He also noticed that its starboard engine had stopped and he last saw it diving to the ground near Ghent. Angus then discovered that he was out of ammunition and that he had no oil pressure. His engine seized and he force-landed at Celles. Within a few hours Angus returned to the Squadron after hitching a ride back to Lille/Seclin. Patrick did not fire his guns on this occasion, but nine days later he would soon claim his fair share of enemy aircraft.

Three Henschel's and one Heinkel were brought down in this first , our sortie. Our casualties being P/O MAWHOOD wounded in one eye and one machines being rendered temporarily unserviceable.

Crew:
Pilot Officer (40314) David Vere George MAWHOOD (pilot) RAF - injured

1. ORB 85 Sqdn RAF
2. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain)
3. Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War Vol.1 page 17 by Norman L.R. Franks
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/220: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142045
5. http://intotheswarm.blogspot.com/2011/11/dickie-lee.html
6. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=6245
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estr%C3%A9es-Mons

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
07-Jun-2015 08:48	Nepa	Added
23-Apr-2019 22:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
17-Jun-2019 17:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]