ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 69331
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| Date: | Saturday 29 June 1940 |
| Time: | morning |
| Type: |  Bristol Blenheim Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 113 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | L8447 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Mediterranean Sea, off Tobruk -
 Libya
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Maaten Bagush |
| Maaten Bagush |
Bristol Blenheim Mk.I L8447 (VA-S) 113 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over Libya. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/2331): "shot down by enemy action, Tobruk, Libya, Blenheim L8447, 113 Squadron, 29 June 1940. Flying Officer W R P K Mason, Sergeant J G Juggins, Sergeant G K Biggins: missing believed killed"
Took off from Maaten Bagush to attack El Gubbi aerodrome. One of three aircraft lost to Fiat CR 42 and G 50 fighters. Shot down and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, off Tobruk. According to Italian sources (roughly trnslated into English):
"...At sunrise on 29 June nine Blenheims bombed the airfield of Tobruk. Three CR.32s of 93a Squadriglia, 8 Gruppo, 2 Stormo C.T. and three CR.42s of 77a Squadriglia, 13 Gruppo, 2 Stormo C.T. scrambled under the falling bombs to intercept them. Tenente Giulio Torresi of 77a Squadriglia reached the bombers at six-o'-clock and attacked the last Blenheim which, after three strafes, caught fire and fell.
Then, avoiding defensive fire, he attacked another bomber and shot it down. Sottotenente Gian Mario Zuccarini of 93 Squadriglia and Sergente Maggiore Fausti shared a third Blenheim and then, following the formation out over the open sea, they claimed another two, one each. Another Blenheim was shared by the other pilots, which damaged two more. It seems that they have been involved in combat with Blenheims from 113 Squadron, which lost three aircraft.
L8436 flown by Pilot Officer Pike was damaged by flak and ditched. L8447 flown by 31-year-old Flying Officer Walter Ronald Price Knight Mason (RAF no. 70450) was shot down in flames by fighters and at least the pilot was killed. L8522 flown by 27-year-old Flight Sergeant Ralph Harry Knott (RAF no. 590277 was also shot down in flames by enemy fighters and at least the pilot was killed.
Crew:
Flying Officer Walter Ronald Price Knight Mason (pilot) RAFVR 70450, aged 31 - killed in action 29/06/1940
Sgt James George Juggins (Observer) RAF 56212, aged 28 - killed in action 29/06/1940
Sgt George Kenneth Biggins (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) RAF 550227, aged 21 - killed in action 29/06/1940.
As no trace of Blenheim L8447 or the crew of three was ever found, they are commemorated on the El Alamein Memorial in Egypt.
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000- L9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/2331: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16471657
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1810794/mason,-walter-ronald-price-knight/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1810411/juggins,-james-george/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1535923/biggins,-george-kenneth/
6. http://113squadron.com/id21.htm
7. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/17.htm
8. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/113_squadron.html#2906
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Oct-2009 08:56 | JINX | Added |
| 27-Nov-2014 15:15 | Next | Updated [Operator, Narrative] |
| 09-Oct-2018 17:21 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 09-Oct-2019 22:09 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Country, Source, Narrative] |
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