Date:	Monday 13 November 1939
Time:	14:20
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	218 Sqn RAF
Registration:	K9356
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Aubérive-sur-Suippes, NE of Mourmelon-le-Grand -   France
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Aubérive-sur-Suippes, France
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.1 K9356, 218 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when dived into the ground near Aubérive-sur-Suippes, north east of Mourmelon-le-Grand, France 13 November 1939 during dive bombing practice. All three crew killed. The crash happened at approximately 14.20 hrs on the Monday 13th while carrying out dive bombing practice.

The crew had only been aloft just over 10 minutes when tragedy struck. According to some sources, the aircraft had a structural failure in flight ("a wing was torn off"), and the Aircraft Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM1180) notes that the aircraft "did a half roll from 6,000 feet, followed by a half loop. At 2,000 feet a/c seen in a vertical dive stage"

The funeral the following day was attended by Group Captain Mann, Wing Commander Duggan and the commanding officer of No.88 Squadron. Also present were officers from No.75 HQ, French Air force and French Cavalry. These were the first casualties suffered by 218 Squadron in WW.II

Crew of Battle K9356:
Pilot: Pilot Officer Robert Thynne, RAF 40650, aged 20 (Killed)
Crew: Sgt Richard Cecil Luscombe Pike, RAF 580454 (Observer, Killed)
Crew: AC.1 Vivian William Liddle Richardson, RAF 550941 (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, aged 19)(killed)

All three were initially interned at the cemetery of Epernay, they were subsequently exhumed before being buried in the necropolis of the Terlincthun British Cemetery of Wimille, in the Pas-de-Calais .

1. Royal Air Force Aircrft K1000-K9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1976 p 76)
2. The Battle File (Sidney Shail, Air Britain, 1997 p 132)
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1653: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16359692
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2280961/thynne,-robert/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2280941/pike,-richard-cecil-luscombe/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2280943/richardson,-vivian-william-liddle/
7. http://www.aviationheritage.org/view_aircraft.asp?id=32861
8. https://218squadron.wordpress.com/battle-k-9356/
9. Battle K9356 Form AM1180: https://218squadron.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/1180.jpg
10. http://olivier.housseaux.free.fr/AVIONS/K9356/recit.htm
11. http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com/?p=33864
12. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1842

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
26-Jun-2019 19:25	Dr. John Smith	Added
27-Jun-2019 05:30	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]