Accident Bristol Blenheim Mk IV P6933,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 53880
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Tuesday 16 July 1940
Time:07:30
Type:Silhouette image of generic BLEN model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:18 Sqn RAF
Registration: P6933
MSN: WV-G
Fatalities:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:North Sea, off Schelde, Zeeland -   Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF West Raynham, Norfolk
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV P6933 (WV-G) 18 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (Failed To Return) from combat operations over the Netherlands. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/1126): "Blenheim P6933 failed to return from air operations, 16 July 1940. Sergeant A St J Bunker, Sergeant P R Harris and Sergeant J F Hatch: report of deaths".

Mission - Vlissingen. Shot down into the sea off Schelde, 10 km northwest of Vlissingen, Zeeland, Netherlands, during attack on barges by fighter pilot Feldwebel Georg Kiening of the 6./JG 54, who was flying a Bf 109E from (presumably) Vlissingen airfield. No survivors among the three crew

Crew:
Sgt Anthony St John Bunker (Pilot) RAFVR 745279, aged 20 - killed in action 16/07/1940
Sgt Peter Raymond Harris (Observer) RAF 581152 - killed in action 16/07/1940
Sgt John Frederick Hatch (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) aged 25, RAFVR 903079 - killed

The pilot (Sgt Anthony Barker) was buried at Cement House Cemetery, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. The other two crew fatalities were buried at Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery, Zeeland, Netherlands.

Sources:

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1978)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/1126: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502938
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2252716/bunker,-anthony-st.-john/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2634765/harris,-peter-raymond/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2634769/hatch,-john-frederick./
6. https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T0750&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
7. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?7364-18-Squadron-Peter-Raymond-Harris
8. http://www.belgians-remember-them.eu/crash-wvl-zz11.php
9. http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/hello-everybody-info-of-a-lot-of-soldiers-please.76553/#post-822915
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheldt
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlissingen

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-Dec-2008 11:45 ASN archive Added
06-Mar-2011 05:16 angels one five Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
03-Jan-2012 03:36 Uli Elch Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Jan-2012 03:31 Nepa Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Source]
03-Jun-2013 07:36 Nepa Updated [Operator, Narrative]
06-Aug-2013 19:02 JINX Updated [Operator, Location]
15-Dec-2014 15:08 Jixon Updated [Operator, Departure airport]
13-Jul-2019 13:40 TigerTimon Updated [Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative]
16-Oct-2019 13:57 Dr. John Smith Updated [Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative]
27-Oct-2019 22:23 Anon. Updated [Operator, Operator]
11-Jun-2022 00:16 Ron Averes Updated [Location]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org