Date & Time:
Mar 24, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 408 Wellington IA
Operator:
Registration:
P9225
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Mildenhall at 1930LT on March 23, on a reconnaissance flight over Germany to locate both Weser and Elbe Rivers. On the return leg to UK, while overflying the Belgian border, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. The captain instructed his crew to abandon the aircraft and all six occupants bailed out. The aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a pasture located in Hondschoote, southeast of Dunkerque. All six crew were unhurt while the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew (149th Squadron):
F/O F. W. S. Turner,
F/O J. P. M. Hewett,
Sgt H. Dean,
AC2 Fairgrieve,
AC2 Smith,
P/O J. D. Hargreaves.
Crew (149th Squadron):
F/O F. W. S. Turner,
F/O J. P. M. Hewett,
Sgt H. Dean,
AC2 Fairgrieve,
AC2 Smith,
P/O J. D. Hargreaves.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
