Date:	Monday 16 October 1939
Time:	14:30
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk I
Owner/operator:	57 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L1141
MSN:	UX-N
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Lingen, Ems, Niedersachsen -   Germany
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Etain airfield, Meuse department (Fr.)
Destination airport:	Etain airfield (Fr.)

Narrative:
Tasked with a reconnaissance mission over the Wesel-Bocholt area of Germany, Pilot Officer Michael James Casey took off from the airfield at Etain, Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, at 11:00 hrs on Monday 16/10/1939 flying a Bristol Blenheim L1141/UX-N). His observer was Sergeant Alfie Fripp RAF and his wireless operator/air gunner Aircraftman 1st Class J. Nelson RAF.

A Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109 flown by Lt. Hans-Folkert Rosenboom of Jagdgeschwader 1 (Fighter Wing 1) intercepted the Blenheim and, after a long chase sometimes only 6 feet from the ground, shot it down near Lingen (Ems) in Lower Saxony. All three airmen scrambled clear of the wreckage before it burst into flames. P/O Casey was Issued with prisoner of war number 24
Crew:
F/O (39024) Michael James CASEY (pilot) RAF Ok /PoW
Sgt (565033) Alfred George FRIPP (Obs.) RAF Ok /POW
AC.2 (539817) James NELSON (WOp/AG) RAF Ok /PoW.

For the famous "Great Escape" operation of 1944, Michael Casey was the treasurer, head of filing and, most importantly, arranged safe concealment of forged documents in caches around the camp avoiding the repeated and intensive German searches. Casey was one of the 76 men who escaped the Stalg Luft III prison camp on the night of 24–25 March 1944 in the escape now famous as "the Great Escape".

He cleared the tunnel and headed south with another escapee. Both were dressed in civilian clothes and posing as foreign war workers. When stopped near Görlitz by police, their papers did not stand up to scrutiny and they were arrested and held with other re-captured escapees in the town jail. On 31 March 1944, six re-captured prisoners (Casey, Ian Cross, Tom Leigh, George Wiley, the badly frostbitten Al Hake and John Pohe) were taken from Görlitz prison in black Gestapo sedans.

According to Gestapo agent, Scharpwinkel, another agent named Lux then informed them that they had been sentenced to death by order of the Supreme Military Commander, Adolf Hitler. The prisoners were shot beside the autobahn near Halbau and their bodies cremated at Görlitz.

Casey was one of the 50 escapers executed and murdered by the Gestapo. Originally, his remains were buried at Sagan, but he is now buried in part of the Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery. The Glasgow Herald of 19 May 1944 published an early list naming several officers, including Casey.

Sgt Fripp was featured on the ITV Documentary 28/08/11 "David Jason's Greatest Escapes" and died on January 3rd 2013, aged 98.

1. Air-Britain: Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999 (James J Halley)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/29: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14142112
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_James_Casey#War_service
4. https://57-630sqnassoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016-Newsletter.pdf
5. Blenheim production list

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


17 May 1940	P4851	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	2	Missing near Gembloux, Namur		w/o
8 June 1940	R3618	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	1	Éplessier, 3 km NW of Poix-de-Picardie, Somme, Hauts de France		w/o
13 August 1940	R3821	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF	3	Aalborg West near Aalborg airport		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Feb-2008 02:48	JINX	Added
22-Jun-2008 21:37	JINX	Updated
26-Jun-2013 19:20	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Narrative, ]
17-Jul-2013 19:51	JINX	Updated [Operator, Location, Source, ]
16-Aug-2013 02:47	JINX	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, ]
16-Aug-2013 02:48	JINX	Updated
15-Dec-2014 10:55	Jixon	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, ]
06-Oct-2018 15:21	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
02-Jun-2019 23:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
02-Jun-2019 23:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, ]
15-Apr-2020 18:42	TB	Updated [Location, ]
15-Apr-2020 18:44	TB	Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, ]
22-Jun-2022 04:57	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, ]
22-Jun-2022 05:05	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, ]
22-Jun-2022 05:10	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, ]
23-Jun-2022 08:42	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, ]
20-Aug-2024 21:33	Nepa	Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Operator, ]
26-Aug-2024 18:14	Nepa	Updated [Time, Phase, Narrative, Operator, ]
12-Jun-2025 06:30	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]