On 15th June 1943,at 05 45hrs the Chief of the local Police Squad was informed by M.Vilfeu, a farmer living at la Grandinais in Moulins that a plane had crashed in a field near the farm at Haut-Bois in Moulins.

The Chief of Police,accompanied by Gendarme P, immediately arrived at the scene by motorbike and saw that debris from the plane was strewn along a stretch of of about 150 metres.The four engined plane had obviously exploded on landing having severed two oak trees.

Three separate sources of fire had completely destroyed the plane.There was nothing left of the plane from which they could identify its nationality.

People present at the scene were immediately moved away and a guard mounted.

At 0700hrs, a report was sent by telephone to the Division Commander at Vitré and the Field Commander at Rennes.

At 07 30hrs about 30 German soldiers arrived. A dozen of them remained at the scene to keep guard whilst the others were sent to search for the aircrew.

At 08 30hrs Gendarmes G. and A. from the squad arrived at the scene and informed the Chief of the Squad that two English parachutists had been discovered, one of them at ''Nuillé'' in Domalain and the second at ''Champ Renou'' in Bais.

The German Lieutenant who was situated near bye and was kept informed,asked the Chief of the Squad to accompany him so that he could take charge of all that was happening.

During the journey we met a car in which there was an interpreter from Headquarters who informed us that the two aforementoined parachutists had left in a van belonging to the Squad at la Guerche, accompanied by two gendarmes, that a third parachutist was found at ''La Maladrie'' in Bais and that a fourth, the one that was killed, was found at ''Veauvert'', also in Bais.

Tha German Lieutenant had taken charge of the parachutist at ''la Maladerie'' (A parachute had been found in an apple tree at ''Les Rochettes'') and of the dead body found at ''Veauvert'' .

A truck came to the squad headquarters at La Guerche, about 12 00 hrs to collect the two air crew being held there.

The German soldiers took charge of guarding the debris of the aircraft, the two duty gendarmes were relieved at 12 00 hrs.

At 20 00hrs a telephone message informed us that a fifth airman had been found at the farm at ''La Rochette'' in Bais, the latter was arrested and and taken by the German soldiers to Domalain.

All the neighbouring Gendarme Squads were notified to continue searching for the last two occupants of the plane who were likely to be found in the area.

The search continued.

  N°1 : ''Vauvert'', in the commune of Moulins. Place in which the body of Flying Officer Pilot, Jack Edwards was found.

N°2 : The district where Pilot Officer Russell Kirby landed with his parachute, (it says in his report,the village of La Haye, in the commune of Bais. In the middle of the night he knocked on the door of the farm ''La Tanduère'' in Marcillé Robert. Nobody came to the door. He then went towards the village of Visseiche, then Marcillé Robert. According to the German authorities two airmen were still on the run.

N°3 : At 08 30hrs the police were informed that two English airmen had been found,one at ''Nuillé'' in Domalain.

In testimony given by the Sergeant Basil Rawlinson, he said he fell near his friend Eric Dunnett.

N°4 : The second at ''Le Champ Renou'' in Bais. At this time these two airmen had not been identified.

A parachute was reported to a seamstress, Ms. Chesnel to Bais, for making clothes with silk parachute.

This parachute was discovered in the village of "Le Pas Gagné", not very far from "Le Champ Renou. We assume that this parachute belonged to Sergeant Joseph Sansoucy or Jones Elfeld Foulkes.

N°5 : : A parachutist was taken prisoner at 08 00hrs, at ''La Maladerie'' in Bais by a German Lieutenant. Not identified. A parachute was found in an apple tree at ''Les Rochettes''. (Red rectangle,according to M.Lamoureux of Bais).

According to the sister of Thomas Maxwell, the latter had told his family that he had jumped with his parachute and had become stuck in an apple tree. A farmer helped him to get down and then gave him some food, then he was taken prisoner by the Germans.This account leads us to think that it was Sergeant Thomas Maxwell that had landed in the apple tree at ''Les Rochettes''.

N°6 : A parachutist was taken prisoner by the gendarmes at 20 00hrs at the village of ''La Rochette'' in Bais. (Sergeant Eric Dunnet).

N°7 : Joseph Sansoucy, the next morning,found himself back in the village of Retiers.

Flying Officer (Pilot). EDWARDS, JOHN LLOYD. (KIA).

(Bomb Aimer) Pilot Officier. KIRBY RUSSELL. GEORGE. (EVD).

(Navigator) Sergeant. DUNNETT ERIC GAUL. (POW).

(Wireless operator-gunner). Sergeant. RAWLINSON BASIL WILLIAM. (POW).

(Flight engineer) Sergeant. SANSOUCY JOSEPH GERMAIN FABIEN. (EVD).

(Hid upper gunner) Sergeant. JONES ELFED FOULKES. (POW).

(Rear gunner) Sergeant. MAXWELL THOMAS. (POW).