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| Date: | Saturday 28 October 1939 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  Armstrong Whitworth Whitley B Mk II |
| Owner/operator: | 51 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | K8988 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 5 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Triaucourt-en-Argonne, Meuse, 17 km north of Revigny -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Villeneuve-les-Vertus Aerodrome, 3.4 miles NE of Vertus, Marne |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley B.Mk.II K8988 ("MH-H") of 51 Squadron, RAF. Lost on combat operations on the night of 27-28.9.39. The aircraft left Villeneuve-les-Vertus Aerodrome, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) northeast of Vertus, in the Marne department in northeastern France (at approximate Coordinates: 48°56′14″N 004°03′30″E) at the end of the day, bound for Frankfurt on a 'Nickel' (Leaflet Dropping) mission, though the crews suffered dreadfully from the effects of the cold and the airframes from severe icing.
A few hours later, it crash landed in Triaucourt-en-Argonne, Meuse, 17 km north of Revigny. All five crewmen of 51 Squadron were slightly injured. The exact circumstances of the accident remains unknown, but airframe icing - which claimed Whitleys K8984 and K9008 on the same operation on the same night - was a likely cause.
Crew:-
Pilot : Sergeant Thomas William Bowles RAF 564563
Observer : Sergeant Alan Arnold Emery DFM RAF 590422 (Officer:45801 : Commission Gazetted Friday 20 June, 1941)
Rear Gunner : Sergeant A Griffin RAF [Injured]
Sergeant E J Barber RAF
Aircraftman 1st Class R Jackson RAF
Sources:
1. Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000-K9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1976)
2. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-armstrong-whitworth-aw38-whitley-iii-triaucourt-en-argonne
3. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Apr-2019 19:10 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 19-Apr-2019 10:35 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator] |
| 08-Jun-2024 19:53 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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