Date:	Thursday 23 May 1940
Time:	day
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	57 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L9243
MSN:	DX-B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Rouen, Seine Maratime -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire
Destination airport:	Rouen, Seine Maratime

Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV L9243 (DX-B) 57 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 23 May 1940 when lost (failed to return) from combat operations over France. All three crew survived, but two were injured. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/581): "Blenheim L9243 crashed on attempting to land at Rouen, France, 23 May 1940. Sergeant R N Wells and Leading Aircraftman G C P Haines: injured. Pilot Officer G W S Ritchie: uninjured".

Airborne from RAY Wyton, Huntingdonshire to attack troop columns in northern France. Badly damaged by Flak/AAA, and attempted to make an emergency landing in a badly damaged state at Rouen, Seine Maratime, France. Aircraft written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed on landing.

Of the three crew, two - Sergeant R N Wells (Observer) and Leading Aircraftman G C P Haines (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) - were injured. Pilot Officer G W S Ritchie (pilot) was uninjured

1. Royal Air force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 61)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/581: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502219
3. Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=7328
5. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/57_squadron.html#2205
6. https://57-630sqnassoc.org/history/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
16-Aug-2019 22:17	Dr. John Smith	Added
19-Aug-2019 17:55	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]