Date:	Sunday 19 May 1940
Time:	10:45 LT
Type:	Fairey Battle Mk I
Owner/operator:	12 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L5538
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Horn Wood in Ménil-Lépinois, North-East of Warmeriville, Ardennes -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Echemines, France
Destination airport:	Echemines, France

Narrative:
Fairey Battle Mk.I L5538 (PH-A) 12 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from combat operations on 19 May 1940. Of the three crew, one was unhurt, one was injured, and one died from injuries sustained. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/434): "Battle L5538 crashed at Epernay, France, 19 May 1940. Sergeant B C Long, uninjured. Leading Aircraftman T O Burgess, injured. Pilot Officer J J McElligott, report of death from injuries".

Fairey Battle L5538 was one of five aircraft from 12 Squadron airborne at 10:16 hours from Echemines to bomb targets at various locations (Operation "Hannogne"). Attacked by six Bf 109s from 4./JG 52 near St-Fergeux, Ardennes, 12 km West-North-West of Rethel, France, so the pilot decided to get rid of his bomb load, and return to his base, but crashed into a wood, possibly at Horn Wood in Ménil-Lépinois, North-East of Warmeriville, Ardennes, some distance from where the attack took place. Pilot Officer McElligott died from his wounds. LAC Burgess claims to have destroyed a Bf 109, despite serious wounds to his arms and legs. Two 12 Squadron Fairey Battles were lost in Operation "Hannogne" - L5538 and N2178

Crew of Battle L5538:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) James Joseph "Jimmy" McElligott, RAF 40630, aged 24, died of wounds/injuries sustained 19/05/1940, buried at Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas de Calais, France
Sgt B.C.Long (Observer) - survived uninjured
LAC V.C.Burgess (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) - Injured in the crash

Note that some unofficial published sources give the serial number of the Fairey Battle involved as L5338 (sic). However, Battle L5338 was lost in combat operations in France in mid-June 1940, a month later. The reported crash location of Ménil-Lépinois is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France, at approximate coordinates: 49°22′46″N 4°17′08″E.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 36
2. National Archives (PTO Kew) File AIR 81/434: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502105
3. Peter D. Cornwell: The Battle of France then & now.
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2280922/mcelligott,-james-joseph-(jimmy)/
5. https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/fairey-battle-l5538-nabij-bouillon
6. http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpost.php?p=125985&postcount=30
7. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=220
8. http://www.anciens-aerodromes.com/?p=33864
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9nil-L%C3%A9pinois .

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
24-Jul-2019 17:45	Dr. John Smith	Added
26-Jul-2019 11:40	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
28-Jul-2019 21:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Country]
29-Oct-2020 01:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]