ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226378
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| Date: | Sunday 12 May 1940 |
| Time: | morning |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 139 (Jamaica) Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | N6216 |
| MSN: | XD-B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | by Maas River, near Rekem, Limburg. -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Plivot, France |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV N6216 (XD-B) of 139 (Jamaica) Sqaudron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) on combat operations - officially described as "Blenheim N6216 crashed at Reckem, Belgium, 12 May 1940. Sergeant T W Davis, Leading Aircraftman W A McFadden and Acting Squadron Leader W I Scott: report of deaths".
At dawn on 12 May 1940, the British air commander sent off nine A.A.S.F. Blenheims of No. 139 Squadron to attack a column on the road from Maastricht to Tongres. Running into the swarms of fighters previously reported over the area, they lost all but two of their number—a disaster which ended the life of the A.A.S.F. Blenheims as a useful force before it had begun, for the other squadron (No. 114) had been virtually destroyed on its airfield the previous day.
The German fighter pilot Walter Adolph (1913-1941) of 2./JG 1 shot down three Blenheims of 139 Squadron on this day, one of which was possibly Blenheim N6216.
Blenheim N6216: Took off at 05:00 from Plivot, France, briefed to bomb and strafe troop columns advancing out of Maastricht towards Tongeren. Shot down by Bf 109s near Rekem (Limburg), on the West bank of the Maas, 25 km East of Hasselt, Belgium. All three crew killed
Crew of Blenheim N6216:
S/Ldr (34225) William Ian SCOTT (pilot), RAF - killed in action 12/05/1940
Sgt (580509) Thomas William DAVIS (obs.) RAF killed in action 12/05/1940
LAC (545595) William A. McFADDEN (WOp/AG) RAF killed in action 12/05/1940
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/264: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142089
3. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/139_squadron.html
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2258936/scott,-william-ian/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/231972/davis,-thomas-william/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2258933/mcfadden,-william-allan/
7. http://www.belgians-remember-them.eu/crash-lim-reke1.php
8. https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/model-van-toestel/bristol-blenheim?page=2 (Belgian text)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Jun-2019 23:28 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 21-Jun-2019 10:49 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 26-Jun-2022 09:06 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 07-Nov-2022 07:55 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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