Date:	Tuesday 27 February 1940
Time:	14:36
Type:	Bristol Blenheim Mk IV
Owner/operator:	82 (United Provinces) Sqn RAF
Registration:	P4842
MSN:	UX-B
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Elbe Estuary, off Scharhörn -   Germany
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Watton, Norfolk
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Blenheim P4842 (UX-B) : Took off at 12:30 hrs for Reconnaissance of Elbe Estuary. 27/02/1940
Presumed lost at sea on or near the target area; the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/95) states that the crew were "missing presumed dead; Blenheim P4842 failed to return from air operations,
27 February 1940". No official cause for the loss was ever established, but the squadron history implies that the Blenheim was tasked to attack enemy shipping, and was brought down by AA fire from the ships it was attacking.
A Blenheim was claimed shot down in the North Sea, west-north-west of Heligoland at 2.36 p.m. (German time) by Oblt. Gerhard Jahny of 6.(J)/TrGr. 186. (OKL+JFV d.Dt.Lw. II - 1)
Crew
F/O (39196) John Christopher Howell BLAKE (pilot) RAF : killed
Sgt (564455) Thomas Sinclair Weightman (obs) RAF : killed
AC1 (611040) Samuel Newton Middleton (WOp/AG) RAF : killed

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain p 26)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/95: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14141917
3. The Squadron That Died Twice - The story of No. 82 Squadron RAF By Gordon Thorburn
4. http://www.oldhaltonians.co.uk/pages/rememb/ROH/W.htm
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1076801/middleton,-samuel-newton/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1531193/weightman,-thomas-sinclair/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2073565/blake,-john-christopher-howell/
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elbe#Outer_Elbe_(estuary)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Jun-2019 15:17	Dr. John Smith	Added
08-Jun-2019 10:32	stehlik49	Updated [Operator]
04-Nov-2019 10:52	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]
18-May-2022 17:14	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
14-Jul-2024 10:31	Nepa	Updated [Time, Phase, Narrative, Operator]