Accident Vickers Wellington Mk 1c P9297, Tuesday 21 May 1940
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Date:Tuesday 21 May 1940
Time:night
Type:Silhouette image of generic well model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Vickers Wellington Mk 1c
Owner/operator:115 Sqn RAF
Registration: P9297
MSN: KO-F
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Givet, near Poix-Terron, 10 km S of Charleville-Mézières, Ardennes -   France
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Marham, Norfolk
Destination airport:RAF Marham, Norfolk
Narrative:
Vickers Wellington Mk.1c P9297 (KO-F) of 115 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat operation on the night of 20-21 May 1940. All six crew survived, but were captured and taken as PoWs. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/468): "Wellington P9297 crashed at Givet, France, 22 May 1940. Pilot Officer J Whitton, Flying Officer D F Laslett, Pilot Officer G T Dodgshun, Aircraftman 1st Class L W Ludlam, Aircraftman 1st Class H D Glendinning and Sergeant W L Flower: prisoners of war"

On the night of 20-21 May 1940 a force of Wellingtons from 75, 99 and 115 Squadrons were tasked to attack the Meuse Crossings at Dinant and troop concentrations near Cambrai. Three 115 Squadron Wellingtons were lost on this operation (P9298/KO-H, R3152/KO-J and P9297/KO-F).

Wellington P9297 was wrecked when it force landed after flak/AAA damaged near Poix-Terron (Ardennes), 10 km S of Charleville-Mezieres. Wellington P9297 was airborne at 21.15 hrs on 21 May 1940 from Marham to bomb enemy positions in the Dinant-Meuse bulge, and came down in the early hours of the following morning.

Crew of Wellington P9297:
Flying Officer Desmond Felix Laslett RAF 37973; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 9AH/L3, as PoW No.511
Pilot Officer Geoffrey Thomson Dodgshun RAF 40466; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 9AH/L1/6B/L3, as PoW No 508
Sgt Wilfred Lewis Flower RAF 581174; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 8B/L1/L3/L6/L4, as PoW No.13082
AC.1 Harry David Glendinning RAF 552111; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 8B/L6/L4, as PoW No.13038
AC.1 Leonard Wood Ludlam RAF 552551; survived, captured, taken as PoW. Interned in PoW Camps 8B/L6/357, as PoW No.13117
Pilot Officer John Whilton RAF 77215; survived, but injured, captured, taken as PoW. Was confined in Hospital due injuries. No PoW No. issued

The reported crash location of Givet is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France, very close to the Belgian border, at approximate Coordinates: 50°08′20″N 4°49′30″E

Sources:

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft P1000-P9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980 p 52)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/468: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502998
3. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/115_squadron.html#202105
4. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-vickers-416-wellington-ic-poix-terron
5. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=4413
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Givet
7. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
29-Jul-2019 20:17 Dr. John Smith Added
29-Jul-2019 20:35 Dr. John Smith Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
30-Jul-2019 10:31 stehlik49 Updated [Operator]
16-May-2024 12:38 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative]

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