Fairey Battle Mk.1 K9270 (PM-O) 103 Squadron, RAF: Lost on combat operations when failed to return on a mission to Linger, Luxembourg - officially described as "Battle K9270 crashed at Linger, Luxemburg, 10 May 1940. Temporary Warrant Officer C H Lowne, Sergeant C J S Poole and Sergeant O A Hutchson: report of deaths."
Airborne 13:45 hrs from Betheniville, France. Operation: Low level attack on German Troop Columns near Dippach, Luxembourg. Shot down by ground fire during low level attack on German columns east of Dippach. Crashed at Linger just north of Petange (according to official Air Ministry sources). Crashed in the vicinity of Hotton (Luxembourg), 9 km North East of Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium (according to unofficial sources).
103 Squadron dispatched 4 Battles (K9372, K9264, K9270 and one other) to bomb German troops advancing through Luxembourg. Only one aircraft returned (after having attacked target) and the other 3 listed above failed to return.
Note that the official Air Ministry file in the incident (File AIR 81/276) states that all three crew were killed. This incorrect; two of the three crew were killed, but one survived to be captured and taken as a PoW.
Source: http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/103_squadron.html
Source: Aviation Safety
Weckrages of K9270 fallen to Hotton (Pictures: 103 Squadron archives)
