Date:	Friday 10 May 1940
Time:	afternoon
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	218 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5402
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Luxembourg to Dippach road -   Luxembourg
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Auberive-sur-Suippes, France
Destination airport:	Auberive-sur-Suippes, France

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.1 L5402 (HA-W) of 218 Squadron, RAF: Lost on combat operations - officially described as "Leading Aircraftman H Baguley: report of death; died of injuries received in air operations over Luxembourg, 10 May 1940".

The overall British commander, Air Marshal Barratt, acting on his own initiative, orders 32 Battles from No. 12, 103, 105, 142, 150, 218 and 226 Squadrons to attack German troops advancing through Luxembourg at noon. In a chilling scene-setting series of events, 13 are shot down by mobile anti-aircraft and machine guns. The remainder all suffer damage of some kind. In a second attack during the afternoon, a further 10 Battles from 32 ordered into the air are lost to German fighters and flak. Battle L5042 was one of these.

Airborne 14:30 from Auberive-sur-Suippes. On the afternoon of the 10th May 1940, 218 squadron dispatched four aircraft to attack a troop column on the Luxembourg to Dippach road, and all returned showing the scars of battle, L5402 being deemed to be beyond repair. L5402 returned to base very badly damaged by Flak/AAA. Aircraft possibly repairable, but abandoned in a damaged condition, and left behind in the fall-back to Moscou Ferme. One crew member killed, the other two are presumed to have survived, but their names are not known

Leading Aircraftman (Wireless Op) Herbert Baguley, RAF 529181, age 22, killed in action, buried Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, France

NOTE: Some published sources list the above incident erraneously as Battle L5232 being the aircraft involved

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain. 1978 p 35)
2. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p 150)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/218: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142043
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2280858/baguley,-herbert/
5. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=72920&postcount=5
6. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/218_squadron.html
7. https://218squadron.wordpress.com/history/
8. http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com/?p=33864
9. https://erenow.net/ww/st-vith-victory-218-squadron-campaign-against-nazi-germany/12.php

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Jun-2019 15:33	Dr. John Smith	Added
17-Jun-2019 15:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative]
18-Jun-2019 02:45	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]