Thanks Faenor
Yes there are more than one report with what happened to this one.
AA-fire? Bf 109s?
Cornwell in his BofF does not even mention the incident at all.
Sources doesn't even agree which unit the aircraft was impressed with, Air Britain (DC-3 volume)
says 24 Sq while Simon Parry (Dunkirk volume) says 271 Sq!
Parry is more elaborate and state "Hit by Flak in port wing near Calais and crash landed at Arques"
Then the oddities begin.
a) Aircraft as shown by plenty of photos did not crash, it made, if not a perfect, but still a very good landing.
b) Captain John M H Hoare was killed in the crash. I can't see how anyone can get killed during such a
landing as this. The field chosen seems almost endless and the aircraft is very much intact.
If Hoare was killed he must have been hit by AA-fire.
c) Why was the aircraft destroyed? Possibly for PR purposes (as suggested by you in a mail to me), but maybe
the aircraft ended up in a sort of no-mans land? Sgt Raymond Chartier was shot dead trying to escape to
Allied lines, so they cannot have been too far away. Two others onboard were made POWs by German troops,
meaning they certainly were closer.
Now if that territory was contested, maybe someone decided to burn the plane just to be on the safe
side so to speak.
As always your opinions are very much appreciated
Cheers
Stig