On May 10th 1940 German troops invaded The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg. In an attempt to stop or slow down the invasion the RAF tried to destroy the bridges in Briegden, Vroenhoven and Veldwezelt.

Date

May 12 1940

Take-off

07:50 – Alconbury (GB)

Squadron

15th

Task

Air attack on the Albert Canal bridges & Maastricht

Route

Ostend – Dinant – Maastricht

1. Sortie 15 – Blenheim IV L8847 Flying Officer T.G. Basset, Sergeant N.C. Middlemass, Leading Aircraftsman W.T. Cavanagh Shot down by AAA or Bf109 – crash Borgharen (NL) – 3KIA – Aircraft write-off
2. Sortie 16 – Blenheim IV L8849 Flying Officer Peter Norman Douglass, Sergeant Wilfred Owen Shortland, Sergeant W.E.M. Davies Shot down by AAA or fighters – crash Beverst (B) – 2KIA – 1POW – Aircraft write-off
3. Sortie 17 – Blenheim IV L8851 Flight Lieutenant P.F. Webster, Sergeant R.A.M. Stone, Leading Aircraftsman R.E. Hunter Damaged by AAA and fighters – forced-landed Alconbury (GB) – 1WIA – 2Safe – Aircraft repairable
4. Sortie 18 – Blenheim IV N6151 Sergeant F.R. Pepper, Sergeant R. Booth, Leading Aircraftsman J. Scott Shot down by AAA or fighters – crashed near Maastricht (NL) – 3POW – Aircraft write-off
5. Sortie 19 – Blenheim IV P6911 Flying Officer Albert E. Oakley, Sergeant Douglas John Avent, Leading Aircraftsman Denis V. Woods Shot down by AAA or fighters – crash Munsterbilzen (B) – 3KIA – Aircraft write-off
6. Sortie 20 – Blenheim IV P6912 Flying Officer Claude R. Frankish, Sergeant Edwin G. Roberts, Leading Aircraftsman Ernest W.L. Cooper Shot down by AAA or fighters – crash Genk (B) – 3KIA – Aircraft write-off See the Blenheim over Genk in AR →
7. Sortie 21 – Blenheim IV P6914 Sergeant H.R. Hall, Sergeant E.R. Perrin, Leading Aircraftsman P.J. McDonnel Shot down by AAA or fighters – crash Gellik (B) – 3KIA – Aircraft write-off
8. Sortie 22 – Blenheim IV L8800 Pilot Officer C.H. Robinson, Sergeant S.C. Readhead, Leading Aircraftsman Horton Damaged by Bf109 – belly-landed Alconbury (GB) – 3Safe – Aircraft repairable
9. Sortie 23 – Blenheim IV L8850 Flying Officer P.F. Eames, Sergeant Philips, Leading Aircraftsman R.W. Austin Damaged by AAA and fighters – belly-landed Alconbury (GB) – 1WIA – 2Safe – Aircraft repairable