I'm looking for details of the activities of this unit on 12 May 1940 over Belgium. I would like to know their time of take-off from Plivot airfield in France on that fatal day. Other details are also welcome! Crewmembers were: RAF Leading Aircraftman Child Charles Corby (servicenumber 541344), age 20 RAF Flight Lieutenant Lee Andrew Wynyard (servivenumber 37323) RAF Sergeant Keegan Joseph Belk (servicenumber 580581)
Deatils mentioned in BCL of Chorley are known to me.
Greetings from Belgium
Alexander
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HIS NAME I OFT RECALL. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO ANSWER BUT HIS PICTURE ON THE WALL
I'm looking for details of the activities of this unit on 12 May 1940 over Belgium. I would like to know their time of take-off from Plivot airfield in France on that fatal day. Other details are also welcome! Crewmembers were: RAF Leading Aircraftman Child Charles Corby (servicenumber 541344), age 20 RAF Flight Lieutenant Lee Andrew Wynyard (servivenumber 37323) RAF Sergeant Keegan Joseph Belk (servicenumber 580581)
Deatils mentioned in BCL of Chorley are known to me.
Greetings from Belgium
Alexander
Interesting, CWGC reveal no info on any of the above. Where they POWs?
Hi there Norman Frank's book 'Valiant Wings' gives a three page account of 139 Sqn's attack on May 12 1940,including an eyewitness report,on pages 112 to 116.If you do not have access to this book,I will be happy to post the details for you.
No, I don't have access to this book. I'm of course very interested in that story. Can you send me the details to this e-mail address: alex260966@yahoo.com
Many thanks and greetings from Belgium.
Alexander
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HIS NAME I OFT RECALL. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO ANSWER BUT HIS PICTURE ON THE WALL
H i A lexander Warner's "Blenheim" says that on 12/5/40 139 Sqn with 8 Blenheims left Plivot at 0500 to attack bridges at Maastricht, 7 FTR and the 8th crashed with a wounded crew member back at base.The Appendix gives P4826 as shot down by an Me109 and the crew as you have them are on the Runnymede Memorial so the bodies were never recovered or perhaps never identified Regards Dick
Hi All Did those who could find no trace of the crew on CWGC make the same initial that I did by reading the last of Alexanders names as the surname and not the first? I am old enough to call it a "Senior Moment" what's your excuse? Regards Dick
Since posting yesterday I have found a few more details about 139 sqn on May 12 1940 which I will include here.Firstly,I shall give you the information from Norman Frank's book 'Valiant Wings' (William Kimber,1988).
Crew List
W/C L W Dickens AFC Sgt J R Paine LAC Crowley ?
S/L W I Scott (A Flight Commander) Sgt T W Davis LAC W A McFadden N6216
S/LT G Tideman(B Flight Commander) Sgt Hale LAC Rooney P4923
F/Lt A W Lee Sgt J B Keegan LAC C C Child P4826
F/O G E Gray-Smith SgtP C Gray A/Sgt C Taylor N6219
F/O A McPherson DFC Sgt F W Gregory LAC H F Over N6215
F/O N E W Pepper DFC Sgt T E Hyde W/O Hill L9416
Sgt T C R Harrison Sgt N S D Jones LAC H T Garbett N6229
F/O Menzies Sgt Bonney LAC Tribbick ?
As far as I can tell, most of the following detail comes from an account by Sgt Paine.
Woken at 3am along with the other NCOs,Paine was told to go down to Plivot airfield.On arrival, he was given a map and told he was flying with the CO and thus navigating the squadron to the target-German columns on the Maastricht-Tongres road.139 Squadron took off at 5am minus one aircraft,that of F/O Menzies who was delayed by a technical fault.His late departure allowed him to avoid interception by fighters and return safely to Plivot.
Under clear skies with patches of broken cloud the other eight Blenheims found targets west of Maastricht.In echelon formation they made a dive-bombing approach from 6000 down to 3000 feet when about 30 Bf 109s and Bf110s attacked.
Paine recalls his aircraft coming under attack,the gunner returning fire and then being hit.He looked out of his side window and saw a 109 formating on his aircraft.As his pilot flew at very low level,Paine jettisoned the bomb load and went back to tend to the wounded gunner. He patched up the gunner,removed him from the turret and started firing.To the right he could see the rest of his squadron being shot down and to the left the 109 still formating on his aircraft.He drove off the 109 and then the aircraft headed back to Plivot.
The other seven Blenheims were shot down,and very few of the crewmen survived.Tideman and Hale survived a crash landing,scrambled clear and found refuge in a Belgian fort.They returned to Pivot in a commandeered car which had apparently been abandoned by some German tourists.F/O Pepper baled out into Allied lines and returned to Plivot in a French armoured car. F/O Gray-Smith was taken prisoner.
F/O Andrew McPherson had received one of the first two decorations of the war,both gazetted simultaneously on 10 October 1939,both DFCs.On 3 September he had flown Blenheim IV N6215,the first aircraft to cross the German border and the aircraft he was shot down in,to photograph the German fleet.
W/C Dickens later received a DFC AND Sgt Paine a.DFM.Joining the RAF in 1931 and with 139 Sqn since 1937 Paine was later commissioned and flew a tour in Coastal Command.
From Victor Bingham's book 'Blitzed' (Air Research 1990).
When attacked by fighters ,S/L Scott's aircraft was seen to explode,bringing down both of his wingmen,one of them minus a wing.
It would appear that F/O Pepper was W/C Dickens wingman.
From I T Tavender's book 'The Distinguished Flying Medal 1918-1982' (Hayward 1990).
Paine, James Reginald 513735 Sergeant. London Gazette 31 May 1940.
In May,1940, this airman was the air observer of an aircraft of a formation of nine aircraft detailed to carry out a dive-bombing attack on a convoy of advancing enemy forces on the Belgian frontier.After bombing,the aircraft was involved in a running fight with four enemy fighters during which the air gunner was severely wounded.Sergeant Paine immediately crawled through the fuselage,which necessitated removing his flying clothing and parachute,thereby sacrificing a chance of escape if compelled to abandon his aircraft,and succeeded in extricating the wounded air gunner from his ****pit.He then proceeded to operate the rear gun,causing the enemy to break off the attack.He subsequently assisted his wounded comrade,after which he returned to his own ****pit and assisted in the navigation of the aircraft.Sergeant Paine's prompt action probably saved the aircraft from being shot down. I know that this information doesn't add anything to your original enqiry,but I hope it is of some use.
Thought it might be nice to try to find out which Luftwaffe units intercepted 139 Sqn.I had a look on Tony Woods claims list for 12 May 1940and found these claims-
According to my information,I/JG1 were operating under the control of JG 27,commanded by Oberst Max Ibel,along with I/JG21andI/JG52.These units were responsible at this time for the defence of the bridges over the Albert Canal.On 12 May,I/JG 1 was airborne protecting the bridges and I/JG27 was in the 'Freie Jagd' role.Apparently Walter Adolph,Staffelkaptan of 2/JG1, claimed his three victims within five minutes.
Once again,nothing much to do with your original enquiry but hopefully of interest.
Thank you very much for the information about the mission of the 139 Sqn on the 12 th of May 1940. JG 1 and JG 27 were also active in the region of Saint-Trond/Landen during the first days after the invasion of Belgium. They fought against the Belgian Fiat CR-42 / Fairey Fox aircrafts and also attacked the airfield of Neerhespen near Landen.
Regards,
Alexander
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HIS NAME I OFT RECALL. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO ANSWER BUT HIS PICTURE ON THE WALL
2012-April-20 : F.O. Abdrew McPHERSON is Listed by CWGC.org as Buried in Belgium. A BIOGRAPHY of Andrew has just been published in:- "Creag Dhubh, 2012" Number 64 : The Annual of the Clan Macpherson Association (pp. 53-58).
Linda R Ibrom
