[Bernard]

Good evening,

I am quite glad this thread has come up again.

Here are some clues.

Extract from AIR27/1 No 1 squadron ORB.

12th may :
…….The C.O. S/Ldr. Halahan, led a patrol over Maastricht on the border of Belgium and Holland and the Flight had much excitment in combat with various types of e/aircraft. The C.O . ( S/Ldr Halahan ) destroyed an Me.109 and an Arado, but being hit in the engine he force landed succesfully wheels up…………..
The C.O ( S/Ldr Halahan ) had a grandstand seat after landing and witnessed a battle royal between French and german tanks and remarked that the the belgian troops were running faster than the refugees. …..

After this force landing, Wing Commander Walter ( O.C 67th Wing ) forbided S/Ldr Halahan to fly operationaly.

Extract from Paul Richey in Fighter Pilot :

….A short time after I was told all this ( the 12th may air battle ) the Bull ( Halahan ) rolled up unheralded in a belgian car. He had crash-landed with his engine riddled with bullets. He had witnessed some rough scenes in Belgium, among wich he described four regiments of French Senegalese troops proceeding to the front at the trot, looking neither to right nor left, with implacable expressions on their faces. A Heinkel crash-landed in a field beside the road, and a section of Senegalese doubled across to it, dragged the german crew of four and promptly decapitated them on the spot. They then resumed their progress, without a word or even a change of expression.
That same day- 13th may………


It is to note that No1 squadron ‘s O.R.B Was rewritten in England after evacuation from France. Sometimes there is some mixing in the dates.
The tanks battle could be the first squirmishes of Montcornet.

Bernard.