Date:	Wednesday 24 April 1940
Time:	08:05 LT
Type:	Lockheed Hudson Mk I
Owner/operator:	220 Sqn RAF
Registration:	N7285
MSN:	NR-L
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	North Sea, at Grid Reference MBRU 3452, South West of Stavanger -   Norway
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife
Destination airport:	RAF Leuchars, Fife

Narrative:
Lockheed Hudson Mk.1 N7285 (NR-L) of 220 Squadron: Lost on combat operations 24 April 1940. Took off from RAF Leuchars, Fife at 04.32 hrs. Escorted destroyers until 07.46 hrs when in position MBRU 3452 at 2800 feet, sighted two Me 109's half a mile to starboard diving at 3000 feet from the sun. On the first machine-gun burst the port engine of the Hudson burst into flames. LAC Dobson was observed to continue firing, the aircraft then attempted to land alongside a destroyer but lost control at 500 feet and turned over.

One crew member attempted to land by parachute but the canopy caught fire. The Hudson was claimed as shot down at 08.05 hrs. by Ltn Demes and Ofw Arnoldy of 4./JG77. The crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Crew of Hudson N7285
Sergeant Edward William Aiden Peachey, RAF 566141, 220 Sqn., age 25, 24/04/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Richard Heron Sanders, RAF 41478, 220 Sqn., age 19, 24/04/1940, missing
Aircraftman 1st Class Ronald Jack Simpson, RAF 628649, 220 Sqn., age unknown, 24/04/1940, missing
Leading Aircraftman [Air gunner] Thomas Dobson, RAF 535582, 220 Sqn., age 24, 24/04/1940, missing

Grid Reference MBRU 3452, according to the claims by the pilot of the Bf 109s that shot down Hudson N7285 was over the North Sea, south west of Stavanger, Norway. As no trace of Hudson N7285 or its crew was ever found, they are all commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt Aiden Peachy also has a memorial stone at Shaw Cemetery, Newbury, Berkshire

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/168: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14141969
3. Ross McNeill, 'Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941 v. 1', Midland Publishing, 2003 p.30
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/220_squadron.html#2404
5. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/P.htm
6. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?13181-Hudson-N7285-220-Sqn-FTR-24-Apr-40
7. http://grave-mistakes.blogspot.com/2015/04/aidan-peachey-was-shot-down-in-1940-he.html
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1804047/peachey,-edward-william-aidan/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2940858/sanders,-richard-heron/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1807200/simpson,-ronald-jack/
11. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/232282/dobson,-thomas/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Jun-2019 20:55	Dr. John Smith	Added
11-Jun-2019 05:48	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]