Larry
PM Sent.. BTW have extracted full text but NOT picture
Air pictorial: journal of the Air League, Volume 59
Page 40 ?? 1997 Air Pictorial
Note: Probably January of February 1997 Issue
Battle QT-D of No 142 Sqn
<Picture>
The serial Right: The Fairey Battle of No 142 Sqn mentioned by Mr Stevens
Q: I enclose a photograph of Fairey Battle QT- D of No 142 Sqn, which force landed near Boulogne at the end of May 1940. Serving as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force in France between September 1939 and June 1940, the squadron later flew Wellingtons. number is not very clear, but the last three numbers could be 692. Could you help to identify this and provide any information on its force landing, crew, etc.
J Stevens Newmarket, Suffolk
A: One of the difficulties in tracing losses of Battles in France in May and June 1940 is the loss of unit records during the evacuation of their advanced airfields. Although some survived, it is difficult to reconcile much of the information compiled after the units had returned to the UK. While some details of the operation carried out have been reconstructed by the Recording Officers, most do not show the serials of the aircraft involved. Similarly, the code letters allotted locally to aircraft are often not recorded even on the records that survived. Which aircraft of No 142 Sqn was allotted the individual letter 'D' is not known . A search of all the Battles extant at this period shows one that could apply. The 'last three' on the photograph could be '696' and apply to K7696. This Battle of No 142 Sqn was engaged with two others in attacking an enemy troop column at Conde-sur-Aisne, just east of Soissons on May 19, and failed to return. The crew, P/O H H Taylor, Sgt S Lang and LAC H Long were all later reported as prisoners-of-war. The aircraft in the photograph shows that the crew should have survived the crash and it is obviously in German hands. Where Boulogne comes into the picture is obscure as at this date
it was still in Allied hands and since all three crew were captured, if this was the aircraft involved then it could not have been crash-landed near Boulogne-sur-Mer, which is what we normally think of as simply Boulogne.
However, there is a Boulogne la Grasse about 50 km NNW of Soissons and this might be the location.
J Halley Air-Britain Information Services
Note: Photo could not have shown K7'692' as could be suggested by Mr Stevens, as this belly landed at Aston Down on 3rd December 1939 while with 12 Group Pool and became Instruction Airframe with Maintenance Serial 1782M