Seeking date, location and code for Fairey Battle, possibly P2189 of 218 SQ, burned out during the Western Campaign

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

At the EoE WG we're attempting to ID the date and location for this burned out Fairey Battle. We think that this is P2189 of 218 SQ, which may have been burned at Auberive-Sur-Suippes AF, France, on May 15, 1940, when the British retreated ahead of the German advance. However, there is no confirmation in British records of what happened to this a/c. One of the two photos show that it did not make a force-landing, because the prop wasn't turning when it was burned, supporting the idea that it was set afire as the British abandoned the area. Can anyone confirm from the background that this was, in fact, Auberive-Sur-Suippes. One of the photos shows code 2189 or 2183, supporting the idea that this is P2189. P2183, for which we have no known photos, is believed to have been shot down or crashed, so it probably isn't that aircraft, for which we're also seeking photos.

Who can help us out here?

http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-bg5...-bg5PFB3-L.jpg
http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-NtX...-NtXWLdg-L.jpg

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I've had an off-board post relating to this mystery from Martin Gleeson, one of our primary EoE researchers with these comments which summarize a long analysis:

"What happened to P2189 ? A great mystery at present. It does not appear to have been belly-landed. 218 Squadron did not burn HA-E, HA-K, HA-P & HA-R (at Auberive-Sur-Suippes AF, France, on May 15, 1940--LJH) but returned to salvage what they could from them. L5402 had apparently been blown to pieces. Auberive was attacked on the 15th and also during the night of the 15th/16th (75 Wing ORB), so it is possible P2189 was set on fire as a result. The lack of a 218 Sqn. ORB for May 1940 is a severe problem. The 75 Wing ORB has the best contemporary details.
I cannot explain it at present."

Can anyone add anything useful to this discussion? Obviously Martin has taken this about as far as it can go from the official British records. What will probably be needed to solve this are additional photos beyond the two posted with this thread with perhaps a caption on the back giving us a location. Does, by chance, anyone have such photography?

[Steve Smith]

Dear Larry,

There is very little I can add to Martins post, as you say he is the leading authority on the loss of AASF Battles.

What I can add is that having visited Auberive-Sur-Suippes on two occasions and having a number of photographs of the airfield (1940) the terrain in the pictures does not look the same. Auberive-Sur-Suippes is a flat featureless area even today. Obviously this is only an assumption on my part, but perhaps the photo's where taken at Moscou Ferme, or Rheges-St-Lucien.

Best wishes

Steve

[Pieter H]

Hi Larry,

one thing is for sure: this is not the P2183. I have a picture of that one with the code clearly visible, and as mentioned by Steve on a much flatter air field. So that may have been Auberive. If you can read P218x (I can't myself on the pictures you attached) then the P2189 is more likely.

Regards, Pieter

[Martin Gleeson]

Steve,

Thank you for the kind comment, but I am certainly not the leading authority on the loss of AASF Battles. Rather one is always learning.

Pieter,

I have never seen a photo of P2183. Is there any possibility of posting it here ?

Regards,

Martin.

[Steve Smith]

Pieter,

I too would be most interested in viewing a photo of this Battle.

Kind regards

Steve

[joel husson]

hello,
photo 2:
The plane burned at the Reims airbase112. On the far right-hand corner of the photo we can see the BRIMONT hill. Brimont is Nord nord ouest airbase.
I confirm this evening
@+ JH

[Pieter H]

Hi all,

after some PM discussions with Larry and Martin the conclusion is unfortunately that the picture I have is of the P2163 (which was destroyed towards the end of May, probably with No. 103 Sqn) and not the P2183.

Apologies for the confusion, and pity we were not able to solve the request around the P2183.

Regards, Pieter

[Snautzer]

2 x HA-K Battle

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/thread...4#post-1782685