Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Vélizy-Villacoublay Airbase on a flight to Bourges, carrying seven crew members and various equipment. Few minutes after departure, it was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crash landed in a field, bursting into flames. Four occupants were injured and three were killed.
Crew:
Adj/C Gaston Lepage, pilot, †
Adj Dumont, copilot,
Sgt/C Pierre Petricorne, radio operator, †
Sgt Noël Charles Gardenier, †
Sgt Maffat,
Adj Pinardi,
Pvt Rival.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Caudron C.445 Goéland in Royan

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1940 at 0730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Caudron C.440 Goéland

Operator:

Registration:

T-1036

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

172

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll at Royan-Médis Airport, the twin engine airplane suffered a loss of engine power, went out of control and crashed. An engine was destroyed, the tail and one wing were torn off. The pilot and the passenger escaped uninjured and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
S/Lt Paul Pagy, pilot.

Probable cause:

Loss of engine power on takeoff.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Tobruk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1940 at 0540 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L8476

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Fuka - Fuka

Location:

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The airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea some 30 km east of Tobruk. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Peter Bower,
Sgt Stanley G. Fox,
AC1 John W. Allison.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Potez 25 in Tours

Date & Time: Jun 10, 1940 at 1830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Potez 25

Operator:

Registration:

1362

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Rennes - Tours - Clermont-Ferrand

MSN:

1362

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The pilot departed Rennes on a solo flight to Clermont-Ferrand with an intermediate stop in Tours. For unknown reasons, the aircraft crashed upon landing at Tours-Parçay-Meslay Airport. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was slightly injured.
Crew:
S/Lt Petit, pilot.

Crash of a CAMS 55 in Cléon: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1940

Type of aircraft:

CAMS 55

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Les Mureaux - Cherbourg

MSN:

YOM:

1932

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew departed Les Mureaux to transfer the float plane to Cherbourg on behalf of the Service Réception et Convoyage (SRC). En route, the airplane was hit by the German Flak. At low height, the mechanic was able to bail out and survived. Unfortunately, the pilot was killed as he bailed out too late and his parachute failed to open in due time.
Crew:
Sgt Louis Evrard Corrège, pilot +1.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Uerdingen: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P4336

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Uerdingen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell on a communications mission over Germany. Approaching Düsseldorf, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Uerdingen, near Krefeld. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Leslie Scott Lawrence, pilot,
F/O James Reed Guthrie, pilot,
Sgt John Fraser, wireless operator,
Sgt Henry Carlton Davies, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Dornier DO.17Z in Saint-Martin-le-Gaillard: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 8, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.17

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Saint-Martin-le-Gaillard

Seine-Maritime

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Four crew members were killed and a fifth was injured and became PoW.

Crash of a Potez 25 in Vélizy-Villacoublay

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1940 at 1145 LT

Type of aircraft:

Potez 25

Operator:

Registration:

2010

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Rennes - Vélizy-Villacoublay

MSN:

2010

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

On final approach to Vélizy-Villacoublay Airport, the aircraft crashed due to a fuel exhaustion. The pilot was uninjured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Sgt/C Jean Bétrancourt, pilot.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60 Moth in Saint Cyrus

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1940

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.60 Moth

Operator:

Registration:

G-ABXR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Taversham - Lossiemouth

MSN:

1905

YOM:

1932

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The pilot, sole on board, departed Taversham on a ferry flight to RAF Lossiemonth. While cruising in low visibility due to poor weather conditions, the airplane collided with telephone cables and crashed in St Cyrus, north of Montrose. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was injured. The airplane was supposed to be registered AW111 two days later.