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Date: | Monday 27 May 1940 |
Time: | 10:20 |
Type: | Westland Lysander |
Owner/operator: | 26 Sqn RAF |
Registration: | L6863 |
MSN: | RM-P |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Fort Risban, Avenue Raymond Poincaré, Calais, Pas De Calais -
France
|
Phase: | Combat |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | RAF Hawkinge |
Destination airport: | |
Narrative:Westland Lysander Mk.II L6863 (RM-P) of 26 Squadron, RAF: Written off (presumed destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a Supply drop operation 28 May 1940. Crashed near Calais, both crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/596): "Lysander L6863 crashed at Calais, France, 27 May 1940. Leading Aircraftman J A Bolton and Pilot Officer E E Howarth: report of deaths".
Took off from RAF Lympne, Kent at 05:10 for short hop to Hawkinge with three other aircraft. Took off from Hawkinge at 09:35 with three other aircraft. Crashed near Fort Risban, near the eastern entrance to the Port of Calais at 10.20 hrs. Cause of crash not known, but Flak/AAA probable, as a supply drop would have required the Lysander to fly "low and slow" in order to drop the supplies at the required location. The reported crash location of Fort Risban is a fort in Calais, located on the coast on the Avenue Raymond Poincaré at the port entrance, at approximate coordinates 50° 57′ 49.32″ N, 1° 50′ 51″ E
Crew:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Ernest E. Howarth, RAF 42129, age 21, killed in action 27/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (Air Gunner) John A. Bolton, RAF 538775, age 27, killed in action 27/05/1940
Both crew fatalities were buried at Calais Southern Cemetery, Calais, France
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 47)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/596:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502288 3.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2214644/howarth,-ernest-elliot/ 4.
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2214583/bolton,-john-alexander/ 5.
http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=4382 6.
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/26_squadron.html#2705 7. Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
8.
https://www.facebook.com/861551180637519/posts/a-westland-lysander-most-likely-l6863-of-26-squadron-flying-out-of-lympne-on-a-s/1488402141285750/ 9. Photo of wreckage:
https://www.facebook.com/FranceandFlanders1940/photos/pcb.1488402141285750/1488402054619092/?type=3&theater 10.
http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/lysander-pilots-calais-27th-may-1940.13913/#post-155577 11.
http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/04533.php 12.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Risban 13. National Archive, Kew; Squadron 26 ORB Summary of Events AIR27-317-6 page 56
Images:
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
15-Feb-2011 14:04 |
ThW |
Added |
10-Jul-2015 19:08 |
DG333 |
Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
19-Aug-2019 00:25 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
21-Aug-2023 19:01 |
Redwine163 |
Updated [[Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]] |