Blenheim identity May 1940

[Pieter H]

In a book I have a picture of a heavily burned Blenheim 1F (to be confirmed) wreckage that is claimed to be shot down while attacking the Rotterdam airfield Waalhaven on May 10, 1940. The individual code letter Z is clearly visible behind the fuselage roundel, and the aircraft code is almost certainly Lxy56.

However, during the mentioned attack by 6 Blenheim 1F's of No 600 Sqn 5 aircraft were downed, but these were the serials (if I am correct) L1335, L1401, L1514, L1515 and L6616, which does not match with the one above.

Any clue about the identity of this Blenheim?

What was by the way the 6th Blenheim which was able to return home?

Pieter

[Hans Nauta]

Hi Pieter,

During the May Campaign the loss of Blenheim IV L8856 of 15 Squadron near Aardenburg on 15th May is the only one which matches with the serial L..56.
However, this Blenheim was tasked for Belgium and crashlanded far away from Rotterdam.

In which book can the picture be found?

Regards,
Hans Nauta

[Larry]

Are you sure its a MkI?

If it was a Mk IV then L4856 of 59 Sqn is the closest match for your photo as this plane is said to have been lost in France 'in May 1940' after a forced landing.

[Peter T]

Hi all,

I think this picture can be found in Battailles Aériennes Number 9 on page 58. I have come to the conclusion that this is not a 600 Sqn. plane but as Larry suggested L4856 of 59 Sqn.

Peter T

[Pieter H]

Hi guys,

Thanks a lot for the inputs.
The only flight date I have for the L4856 of No 59 Sqn is a recon mission on May 11 over the Maastricht Tongeren area at about 17.00. Aircraft was hit by ground fire and returned with a damaged right engine. At least not formally written off per that date. It is unlikely that after that date a No 59 Sqn Blenheim flew over the Netherlands. This machine is not in Bob Baxters loss list of Blenheims during the french campaign.

So I tend to opt for the No 15 Sqn machine L8856 as suggested by Hans. On the picture - which is by the way from the dutch book Mei 1940 of Wim Schoenmaker and Thijs Postma - there seem to be some vague contours of dunes in the background, which would support a location close to the coast like Aardenburg in Zeeuws Vlaanderen.

Kind regards, Pieter

[Peter T]

Hi Pieter,
the source of the picture in the French book is T. Postma, so I think it will be the same image. I have several other photographs of this Blenheim, all taken on an airfield in France. Unfortunately I have no prcise location.
Regards
Peter