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Date: | Sunday 7 July 1940 |
Time: | 13:09 |
Type: | Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia |
Owner/operator: | 54 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | R6711 |
MSN: | 765 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | near Deal, Kent, England -
United Kingdom
|
Phase: | Combat |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Hornchurch, Essex |
Destination airport: | RAF Hornchurch, Essex |
Narrative:R6711: Spitfire Ia (c/no.765) First Flown 9-6-40. Delivered to the RAF at 9 MU Cosford 10-6-40. Issued to 54 Squadron 12-6-40. Shot down near Deal Kent 7-7-40. Struck Off Charge 12-7-40 as Cat.C(3)
According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1033): "Spitfire R6711 lost in air operations, 7 July 1940. Pilot Officer A R McL Campbell: injured"
Airborne from RAF Hornchurch, Esssex for a combat air patrol off Dover, Kent between 13:05 and 13:22 hours. Shot down and crashed (force landed) near Deal, Kent, with the pilot of the Spitfire being wounded. Some sources claim that Spitfire R6711 was shot down by a Heinkel He 111 of 4/KG 55. However, Luftwaffe victory claims note that a Spitfire was shot down by a Bf 109 of Ofw. Arthur Dau of 7./JG51, 6 km South of Dover at 14:09 hours (=13:09 hours BST). The location time and date seems to strongly coincide with the loss of Spitfire R6711.
The corresponding RAF losses log states "Sunday, July 07, 1940; Alan Roberts McLeod Campbell (Canadian), 54 Squadron, Spitfire, R6711, Wounded. Patrol, take off 1300. Shot down by Me 109 off Deal".
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980 p 41)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1033:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502899 3.
http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/p009.html 4.
https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-109E/JG51.II.html 5.
http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/CampbellARM.htm 6. First of the Few: 5 June - July 1940 By Brian Cull
7. Men of The Battle of Britain: A Biographical Dictionary of The Few (page 74) By Kenneth G. Wynn
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
08-Oct-2019 18:34 |
Dr. John Smith |
Added |
10-Oct-2019 16:36 |
juza7 |
Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |