Potez 63.11 loss, 13/05/1940, Netherlands

[B.F.M. Droog]

Who knows more about this plane and its mission?

Type: Potez 63.11
Serial number: ?
Operation: ?
Lost: 13/05/1940
André Wiccaert, Cpt, Groupe Aérien d'Observation 501, 13/05/1940, Oirschot / Dunkerque
Louis Coqueton, 1st Lt, Groupe Aérien d'Observation 501, 13/05/1940 - Oirschot / Kapelle / Quelaines
Louis Leygnac, Sgt, Groupe Aérien d'Observation 501, 13/05/1940, Oirschot / Riom

Crashed on a house on Koppeldijk, Oirschot, Netherlands.

The place names after 13/05/1940 are the places where the crew members were buried - the last place name is the final burial place.

Regards,

Bart

[robert]

Hi,

serial 297 shot down by Bf109E from the 1/JG26 at 18.38.

Robert

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Robert,

Thanks. Any indication of what time is used?
Dutch? GMT + 20m
French/English? GMT + 1hr
German? GMT + 2 hr

Regards,

Bart

[Peter Cornwell]

Hello Bart,

GAO 501 Potez 63.11 (297). Shot down by Lt Butterweck of 1./JG26 over Poppel during reconnaissance sortie between Breda and Eindhoven. Crashed and burned out at Kapeldijk, Oirschot, 5.45 p.m. Lt. L. Coqueton, Capt. A. Wiccaert, and Sgt. L. Leygnac killed. Aircraft a write-off.

Source: The Battle of France Then & Now p259. Time quoted is BST (GMT + 1 hour).

[B.F.M. Droog]

Thanks, Peter.

Any idea if civilians got killed in that crash? Only yesterday I found out that civilians who were killed in bombings, air crashes on their houses or stray bullets are not considered to be 'official war deads' in The Netherlands - so they are not listed in the database of the Dutch War Graves Commission, the Oorlogsgravenstichting.

Regards,

Bart

[Peter Cornwell]

Bart,

Regret that I have no information on any civilian casualties.

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Peter,

I'm working on it. But I'm afraid that due to the strict burial laws of the Netherlands most of the graves of civilian war casualties in the Netherlands are already destroyed.

Regards,

Bart