Date:	Tuesday 21 May 1940
Time:	02:00 LT
Type:	Vickers Wellington Mk Ic
Owner/operator:	115 Sqn RAF
Registration:	R3152
MSN:	KO-J
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Le Havre, Seine Maratime -   France
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Marham, Norfolk
Destination airport:	RAF Marham, Norfolk

Narrative:
Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic R3152 (KO-J) of 115 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from a combat operation on night of 20+21 May 1940. All six crew killed. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/450): "Wellington R3152 crashed near Le Havre, France, 21 May 1940. Sergeant F Williams, Sergeant F A G Lowe, Aircraftman 2nd Class T Kennedy, Leading Aircraftman H G Griffin, Aircraftman 2nd Class A Robinson and Pilot Officer D W W Morris, report of deaths".

On the night of 20-21 May 1940 a force of Wellingtons from 75, 99 and 115 Squadrons were tasked to attack the Meuse Crossings at Dinant and troop concentrations near Cambrai. Three 115 Squadron Wellingtons were lost on this operation (P9298/KO-H, R3152/KO-J and P9297/KO-F). Wellington R3152 was Airborne 23.45 hrs, 20/05/1940 from RAF Marham, Norfolk, to attack enemy transport in the Cambrai - Le Cateau - Cambresis - St.Quentin triangle. Believed shot down by flak/AAA, crashed and exploded with all bombs still on board. Unconfirmed reports are that Wellington R3152 was shot down by "friendly fire" from the French AAA battery at Octeville. All six crew were killed.

Crew of Wellington R3152:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Douglas W.W. Morris, RAF 41048, age 23, killed in action 21/05/1940
Sergeant (Observer) Francis A.G. Lowe, RAF 581516, age 19, killed in action 21/05/1940
Sergeant (Pilot) Francis Williams, RAF 566298, age 24, killed in action 21/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Harold G. Griffin, RAF 755893, age 31, killed in action 21/05/1940
Aircraftman 2nd Class (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Thomas Kennedy, RAF 632947, age 25, killed in action 21/05/1940
Aircraftman 2nd Class (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Allen Robinson, RAF 631370, age 18, killed in action 21/05/1940,

According to the Operational Record Book for No.924 Barrage Balloon Squadron based at Le Havre. All six crew fatalities were buried at Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France. They were buried on 25th May at 10.00 the six British airmen from No. 115 Squadron who were killed were buried at the British cemetery Le Havre. The squadron chaplain, Squadron Leader The Rev. John Christopher Edward Reuss conducted the service along with the Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader William Theodore Barnes the Adjutant, Flight-Lieutenant J. M. Pye-Smith and 12 airmen of No.924 Squadron. A trumpeter from the French Marine Maritime sounded the last post.

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft R1000-R9999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1980 p 18)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/450: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502121
3. http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=179
4. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/115_squadron.html#202105
5. http://baaa-acro.sindev.ch/crash/crash-vickers-416-wellington-ic-le-havre-6-killed
6. https://ticklishsphinx.skyrock.com/2764501534-Tirs-amis.html
7. https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/a-group-of-three-to-aircraftman-a-i_LnIYc50w
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2095196/morris,-douglas-william-west/
9. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2095167/lowe,-francis-alfred-george/
10. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2095296/williams,-francis/
11. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2095111/griffin,-harold-george/
12. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2095153/kennedy,-thomas/
13. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2095237/robinson,-allen/ .
14. Operational Record Book for No.924 Barrage Balloon Squadron May 1940.

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

12 April 1940	P9284	115 Sqn RAF	6	Stavanger-Sola Airfield, Stavanger, Rogaland		w/o
3 August 1940	R3202	115 Sqn RAF	6	Waddenzee near Rottumeroog, Groningen prv		w/o
4 June 1942	X3635	115 Sqn RAF	5	1 km south of Adelheide, Delmenhorst, Niedersachsen		w/o
26 July 1942	Z1606	115 Sqn RAF	5	near Krefeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen		w/o
14 September 1942	BJ693	115 Sqn RAF	6	North Sea off Niedersachsen		w/o
28 September 1942	Z1663	115 Sqn RAF	3	IJsselmeer 8 km SW of Urk, (modern Flevoland)		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Jul-2019 23:17	Dr. John Smith	Added
27-Jul-2019 23:30	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
28-Jul-2019 01:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
28-Jul-2019 01:15	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]
28-Jul-2019 04:23	stehlik49	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Narrative]
29-Jul-2019 20:37	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
14-Feb-2022 10:51	Baloonman	Updated [Source, Narrative]