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Date: | Thursday 23 May 1940 |
Time: | 12:00 LT |
Type: | Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
Owner/operator: | 40 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | L8834 |
MSN: | BL-V |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Miraumont, 13 km NNE of Albert, Péronne, Somme Department -
France
|
Phase: | Combat |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Bristol Blenheim, Mk.IV L8834 (BL-V) 40 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from combat operations on 23 May 1940 over the Arras-Boulogne areas. Of the three crew, two were killed, one survived to be captured and taken as a PoW. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/513): "Blenheim L8834 crashed at the Somme, France, 23 May 1940. Leading Aircraftman P R Whittle and Sergeant P A M Burrell: report of deaths. Flying Officer R H Jacoby: prisoner of war"
Blenheim L8834 was airborne 10.10 hrs from Wyton to attack enemy troop columns. Shot down (probably by Flak/AAA) at Miraumont, 13 km NNE of Albert, Péronne, Somme Department, France. As stated above, two of the crew were killed, and one was taken as a PoW.
Crew of Blenheim L8834
Flying Officer R.H. Jacoby,(pilot) RAF 39880: survived, captured, taken as a PoW. Interned in PoW Camp Stalag Luft III, as PoW No.581
Sergeant (Observer) Peter Arthur Merrick Burrell, RAF 580941, age 19, killed in action 23/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Peter Rex Whittle, 611596, killed in action 23/05/1940
Both crew fatalities were buried at Miraumont Communal Cemetery, Somme, France. The reported crash location of Miraumont is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France at approximate Coordinates: 50°05′42″N 2°43′50″E
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 59)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/513:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502134 3.
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/40_squadron.html#2305 4.
http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=998 5.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2846888/whittle,-peter-rex/ 6.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2846887/burrell,-peter-arthur-merrick/ 7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraumont 8.
https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/203913/ 9.
https://internationalbcc.co.uk/losses/230272/
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
08-Aug-2019 17:50 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
08-Aug-2019 17:52 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Narrative] |
09-Aug-2019 05:54 |
stehlik49 |
Updated [Operator] |