Accident Bristol Blenheim Mk I L8536,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 69426
 
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Date:Monday 6 January 1941
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic BLEN model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Bristol Blenheim Mk I
Owner/operator:211 Sqn RAF
Registration: L8536
MSN:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:near the village of Kelcyre. -   Albania
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Menidi (Tatoi) aerodrome
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Blenheim L8536: Took off at 08:10 hrs for Bombing mission over Valone. 06/01/1941
At 09:40hrs on 6 January 1941 nine Blenheims from 211 Sqdn appeared over Valona, bombing the foreshore from 4000 feet. CR.42s of 150o Gruppo and G.50bis from 154o Gruppo were scrambled, intercepting as the bombers left the target. 154o Gruppo claimed two of the Blenheims shot down.
Meanwhile the CR.42 pilots had kept up the pursuit, returning to claim four more Blenheims shot down, three of them by Sergente Bartolaccini and one by Sottotenente Pasquale Faltoni.
Sgt J. R. Marshall's Blenheim L1542 had been slightly damaged in the tail by AA when a CR.42 attacked, but the gunner, Sgt Bill Baird, drove this off, reporting that smoke poured from its engine as it broke away. Blenheim L8536, flown by F/O L. S. Delaney, was badly hit, although Sgt T. A. McCord in the turret claimed that he believed he had shot down a 'Macchi' in flames. As the bomber headed away, the port engine stopped, but it headed on, accompanied by the formation leader, F/Lt Doudney, whose Blenheim had also been heavily damaged. Near the frontier Delaney indicated that he was going down to land. As he attempted to bring the aircraft down on its belly, it struck some boulders and cartwheeled. The crew were killed outright. Doudney almost reached Menidi, but he too was obliged to crash-land short of this base. Two more Blenheims also received damage, F/O L. B. Buchanan reaching Menidi, while P/O J. C. Cox put down at Eleusis for temporary repairs.
Losses were thus one Blenheim over the target and two crash-landed, one of them totally destroyed as a result, plus two more damaged against Italian claims for six destroyed and one damaged.
Crew:
P/O (40371) Luke Sylvestre “Duke” DELANEY (pilot) RAF : killed.
Sgt (745972) Vynor "Vic" POLLARD (Obs.) RAFVR : killed.
Sgt (612781) Thomas Alexander "Jock" McCORD (WOp/AG) RAF : killed.

Sources:

1.Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-N9999
2.http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/italy_bartolaccini.htm
3.http://www.211squadron.org/bristol_blenheim_i.html#L8536
4.CWGC

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
25-Oct-2009 17:11 JINX Added
21-Jan-2012 08:00 Nepa Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
23-Jul-2013 15:25 JINX Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
15-Dec-2014 20:03 Polis Updated [Operator, Location, Source, Narrative]
30-Dec-2015 08:52 JINX Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location]
07-Jan-2016 22:14 JIXN Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]
26-Sep-2018 10:40 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator]

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