Hawker Hurricane
RAF Serial: L1931
43 Squadron
Pilot: F/O. J. D. Edmonds (killed)
Date: 7th June 1940
Place: Puisenval, near Dieppe

This is the first of three articles detailing a series of digs carried out in and around Dieppe, France, in October 2004.

A team led jointly by Simon Parry and Andy Saunders visited three crash sites near Dieppe in October 2004. All the aircraft fell in an engagement on 7th June 1940 within a few miles of each other. The Hurricanes of 43 Squadron were patrolling from Tangmere to Rouen (Boos) when they were attacked by Bf109Es from JG26. The Hurricane of F/O. J. D. Edmonds (L1931) went down at Puisenval, and he was killed. F/O. W. C. Wilkinson was killed at Bailleul Neuville in L1847, and F/Lt. Rowland was injured when he force landed L2116 at Sainte Agathe D’Aliermont. Sgt. J. Hallowes was shot down flying N2585, but, before he took to his parachute, he turned on his attacker and brought down a 109; for this heroic action, he was awarded his second DFM.

The remaining pilots landed at Boos and refueled, only to be attacked again on their return to Tangmere. This time, Hurricane L1608, flown by Sgt. P. G. Ottewill was shot down in flames, and he was injured. P/O. C. A. Woods-Scawen was shot down and bailed out safely from L1726.

Two Bf109s went down in the combats:
Me109E-3 of 4./JG26; Uffz Rolf Iberle killed at Pulcheux.
Me109E-3 of 4./JG26; Uffz Wilhelm Philipp wounded somewhere near Dieppe.

This series of articles focuses on F/O. Edmond’s Hurricane L1931, Sgt. Ottewill’s Hurricane 1608, and the Me109 flown by Uffz Rolf Iberle.

The crash sites and burial places of F/O. Edmonds and F/O. Wilkinson was not established until 1947, seven years after their loss. Both aircraft had been completely destroyed in the crashes, and the pilots were buried, with their date of death recorded, but they could not be identified. There was little to be found of the aircraft at Bailleul Neuville, but, fortunately, sufficient was found at Puisenval to identify it and its pilot as L1931, F/O. Edmonds. It was therefore assumed that Wilkinson was buried in the churchyard at Bailleul Neuville.

The site at Puisenval had been searched for by several people in the past without success, and the story of the post-war excavation by the RAF was well known locally. The site was eventually located a considerable distance from where eye-witnesses had originally pinpointed it, in a long valley.

The excavation revealed that the aircraft had hit solid chalk vertically, leaving little to be found. A propeller hub for metal blades was found, identifying it as being from the ‘L’ series; other serial ranges carried wooden blades, but beyond that, little was found. The propeller hub was presented to the Mayor of Puisenval, who had been incredibly helpful in the project, and who owned the land on which he crashed.

It is to form the basis of a memorial to F/O. J. D. Edmonds to be erected in the village.