ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 229094
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| Date: | Sunday 9 June 1940 |
| Time: | 12:00 |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk IV |
| Owner/operator: | 107 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L9323 |
| MSN: | OM-N |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Torcy-le-petit, 14 km SSE of Dieppe, Seine-Maritime. -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Wattisham, Suffolk |
| RAF Wattisham |
Blenheim L9323/N: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) for combat operations over France. Two of the three crew were killed. According to the official Air Minstry file into the incident (File AIR 81/828): "Blenheim L9323 crashed, France, 9 June 1940. Sergeant R A Bowman and Flying Officer C P Bomford: report of deaths. Pilot Officer F E Frayn: injured"
Airborne 10:45 hrs from RAF Wattisham to bomb a German armoured column reported near Poix-de-Picardie.
It is understood that the Blenheim bombed the target, and was returning home when it was hit by flak/AAA. The pilot and observer of Blenheim L9323 was both killed, but the WOp/AG was thrown clear of the wreckage, although he sustained severe burns.
It is presumed - but not certain - that he was taken as a PoW (there are no records of his internment); this may have been due to him being detained in hospital as a result of his injuries. However, is it reported that he certainly survived WWII. Not least, due to a certain Francis Edward Frayn (presumed to be the same person) was awarded the MBE in the 1945 Birthday Honours list (14 June 1945) and was promoted to Group Captain on 1st July 1959
Crew:
F/O (37712) Charles Powell BOMFORD (pilot) RAF : killed.
Sgt (580756) Robert Anthony BOWMAN (Obs.) RAF : killed.
P/O (77203) Francis Edward FRAYN (WOp/AG) RAF : Injured /PoW
Both crew fatalities were buried at Torcy-le-Petit Communal Cemetery, Seine-Maritime, France. The reported crash site of Torcy-le-Petit is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in north-western France, by the banks of the Varenne River, some 7 miles (11 km) south of Dieppe, at approximate Coordinates: 49°48′50″N 1°10′27″E.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/828: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502551
3. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/107_squadron.html#0706
4. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=1166
5. http://aircrewremembered.com/bomford-charles.html
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689153/bomford,-charles-powell/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2689154/bowman,-robert-anthony/
8. http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF%20REPORTS/DOVER%20PRINCE%20OF%20WALES.pdf
9. http://stmhs.proboards.com/thread/27/ardua-ad-astra
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torcy-le-Petit,_Seine-Maritime
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1945_Birthday_Honours#Additional_Member_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire_(MBE)
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 17 April 1940 | L9041 | 107 Sqn RAF | 3 | Missing - North Sea |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Sep-2019 22:42 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 17-Sep-2019 23:05 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Sep-2019 23:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Sep-2019 23:15 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 24-Sep-2019 12:10 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 19-Jul-2021 14:08 | Gr8yh0und! | Updated [[Operator]] |
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