Accident de Havilland DH.84 Dragon II G-ACPY, 03 Jun 1941 On 3.6.41, G-ACPY disappeared 20 minutes after leaving St. Mary’s for Land’s End. An immediate search was made (five passengers and the pilot were on board). Only one body was found (a passenger - washed up near Portreath). The service was suspended until 27.10.41 It was later established that a Heinkel 111H-4 of I Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 28 attacked the aircraft with its nose mounted machine-gun. Its port engine on fire, the DH.84 crashed into the sea and sank - the Luftwaffe regarded G-ACPY as a "legitimate target" with its military appearance and government links. G-ACPY was victim of a chance encounter with the He-111, which was returning from an abortive raid on the carrier HMS Indomitable at Barrow-in-Furness shipyard. Six Hurricanes of No 87 Squadron, detached to St Mary's on 19.5.41, had been withdrawn only four days prior to incident. 001 ANDERSON WD - - 03/06/1941 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD 024 LEGGITT J - - 03/06/1941 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD 025 LEGGITT SM - - 03/06/1941 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD 026 LEGGITT J - - 03/06/1941 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD 027 LEGGITT R - - 03/06/1941 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD 014 GRIFFITH GEL - - 03/06/1941 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
This is how the incident was reported in the Falmouth Packet newspaper once the censor had released the story: (The first report is dated 6th June 1941. The second 13th June 1941. )
