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Date: | Wednesday 18 October 1939 |
Time: | |
Type: | Bristol Blenheim Mk IF |
Owner/operator: | 604 (County of Middlesex) Sqn RAF |
Registration: | L6689 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Pampisford Road, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey, England -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF North Weald, Essex |
Destination airport: | RAF Croydon, Surrey |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:Blenheim L6689: Took off for a a night anti-aircraft co-operation flight.18/10/1939
Flew into ground at night at Pampisford Road, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey.
Crew:
F/O (90211) Edward Neville PRESCOTT (pilot) RAF : killed
LAC (804276) Albert ROBERTS (WOp/AG) RAF : killed
According to a Facebook posting, referring to the recovery of some wreckage of this aircraft (see link #6):
"Bristol Blenheim Mk.IF, Serial No. L6689, of No.604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron which crashed into playing fields to the east of Croydon Airfield, between Pampisford Road and Purley Way. It flew into the ground on the night of 18th October 1939, reputedly in flames, killing the pilot, Flying Officer Edward N. Prescott, and Air Gunner, Leading Aircraftsman Albert Roberts.
The Blenheim had taken off from its base at North Weald and was sortied on a night anti-aircraft co-operation flight when the accident happened. An inquest reported in the Croydon Advertiser on 27th October 1939 described them as coming from a ‘Middlesex Aerodrome’ (the confusion probably coming from being No.604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron) and recorded a verdict of ‘misadventure’. Their home base of North Weald is obviously in Essex.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 45)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1589:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16359620 3.
http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939a.htm 4.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2435340/prescott,-edward-neville/ 5.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2735456/roberts,-albert/ 6.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=915216871966821&id=126834467471736 7.
https://nekropole.info/en/Edward-Neville-Prescott 8.
http://nwamuseum.co.uk/page15.html Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
23-Apr-2018 21:06 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
26-Sep-2018 10:46 |
Nepa |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
24-Jun-2019 19:28 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Source, Narrative] |