Date:	Saturday 11 May 1940
Time:	18:20
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	21 Sqn RAF
Registration:	P6886
MSN:	YH-R
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Location:	RAF Watton, Norfolk, England -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Watton, Norfolk
Destination airport:	RAF Watton

Narrative:
Blenheim P6886/R: Took off at 15:10 hrs for a attack a convoys between Maastricht, The Netherlands, and Tongres, Belgium, 11/05/1940
He was Damaged by AA fire. Landing at 18:20 hrs.
Crew:
P/O (42243) Donald MacDONALD (pilot) RAF - Ok
Sgt (514047) Frederick George SIDLOW (obs.) RAF - Ok
AC.1 (628854) Robert CHARLETON (WOp/AG) RAF - killed

21 Squadron took off at mid-afternoon on May 11th 1940, overflying Holland and Belgium at around 15,000 ft, through sporadic anti-aircraft fire from 'friendly' gunners, whose aircraft recognition left much to be desired, eventually spotting the long line of vehicles that were to be the target.

At 16:30 hours S/Ldr Pryde took his bombers down into the attack. The defences, in and around, Maastricht to put up a dense curtain of flak as the Blenheims shallow dive-bombed and gained hits on an assortment of vehicles that clogged the road. AC Robert Charleton, the air gunner in P/O P. MacDonald's Blenheim, P6886, was killed by shrapnel during the attack, while no less than eight of the Squadron's aircraft were unserviceable due to battle damage (bullet holes) the following morning.

AC.1 Robert 'Paddy' Charleton was killed by the only bullet that hit the machine and that bullet pierced his lung. Otherwise, it was considered to be a "Pretty successful raid despite the Ack-Ack over target and from points all the way over."

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/272: --- /C14142097
3. https://www.cwgc.org/
4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/93/a2348093.shtml
5. https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/charleton-r-%C2%A5/
6. Blenheim production list

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jun-2019 23:29	Dr. John Smith	Added
22-Jun-2019 23:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
22-Jun-2019 23:34	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Narrative, ]
25-Jun-2019 05:45	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, ]
25-Nov-2023 10:53	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
08-Aug-2024 09:30	Nepa	Updated [Source, Narrative, Operator, ]
24-Sep-2024 12:04	Nepa	Updated [Damage, Narrative, Operator, ]
02-Oct-2024 11:36	Nepa	Updated [Narrative, Operator, ]