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RAF aircraft's crash sites in Province of Hainaut:
Ecaussinnes

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Last update: 25/06/23


Elegy to
the Heroes of Silence


* To the 40 Squadron *
* To the crew of P4913 *
* To the monument erected in remembrance *
* Cemetery where rest the crew *

Crash site of Blenheim P4913
15/5/1940

aircraft
cest raf squadron
Unit: 40 Squadron
Aircraft: Blenheim
Code: P4913
Base: Wyton
Mission: Dinant
Crew officer: Fl/O EDWARDS, JOHN ERNEST
Incident: Shot down by German Flak

Location: (Prov. Hainaut)

crash

Facts

Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV N6217 (BL-A) 40 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 15 May 1940 when lost (failed to return) from combat operations. All three crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/368): "Blenheim N6217 lost in air operations over Belgium, 15 May 1940. Sergeant E Clarke, Leading Aircraftman A E Millard and Wing Commander E C Barlow: report of deaths".
On 15 May 1940 Squadron Leader Lance Smith (Hurricane P2870) of 607 Squadron led five Hurricanes of 607 Squadron's B Flight and six Hurricanes of 615 Squadron's A Flight in a escort of a dozen Blenheims (three of 15 Squadron and nine of 40 Squadron), which were to bomb the bridges over the Meuse in the Dinant-Celles area.
Before reaching the target they encountered Bf110Cs plus Bf109s from Stab III/JG 53 at 11,000 feet. Three Hurricanes were claimed by III/JG 53 and were credited to Hauptmann Werner Mölders, Oberleutnant Heinz Wittenberg and Leutnant Georg Claus, while two of the Blenheims of 40 Squadron were shot down by Bf109s of 1/JG 3 encountered when north-west of Charleroi.
P4913 and N6217 were the two Blenheims of 40 Squadron that were shot down. N6217 took off from RAF Wyton, Huntingdonshire at 09:30 am. Shot down near Ecaussinnes d'Enghien (Hainaut), 18 km NE of Mons, Belgium, with all three crew killed at around 10:40 hrs
All three crew were buried at Ecaussinnes d'Enghien Communal Cemetery, Hainaut, Belgium. There are only six CWGC graves in this cemetery - the above three are half of them. (The other three are the crew of Blenheim P4913)

Sources:
Aviation Safety
The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
Aircrew Remembered
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