Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster in Hamm: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED910
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Lister Dam located in the region of Dortmund. While overflying Germany by night, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the Boselagerschen Forest. Six crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
P/O W. H. T. Ottley, †
Sgt R. Marsden, †
F/O J. K. Barrett, †
Sgt J. Guterman, †
F/Sgt L. Johnston, †
Sgt F. Tees,
Sgt H. Strange. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Castricum: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 0258 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED877
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Möhne Dam located east of Dortmund. Following an uneventful mission and while overflying The Netherlands by night to return to its base, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in flames in a field. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
S/L H. M. Young,
Sgt R. Horsfall,
Sgt C. W. Roberts,
Sgt L. Nichols,
F/O V. S. Macausland,
Sgt A. G. Yeo,
Sgt L. Ibbotson.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Netterden: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 0236 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED937
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Möhne Dam located east of Dortmund. Following an uneventful mission and while returning to its base, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in a field located in Netterden, at the border with Germany. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
S/L Henry Eric Maudslay, pilot,
Sgt J. Marriott, flight engineer,
F/O R. A. Urquhart, navigator,
W/O A. P. Cottam, wireless operator,
P/O M. J. D. Fuller, bomb aimer,
F/O W. J. Tytherleigh, air gunner,
Sgt N. R. Burrows, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Rijen: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED865
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Sorpe Dam located southeast of Dortmund. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in flames in a field. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
P/O Lewis Johnstone Burpee, pilot,
Sgt Guy Pegler, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Jaye, navigator,
F/Sgt James Lamb Arthur, air bomber,
P/O Leonard George Weller, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Charles Arthur Long, air gunner,
W/O Joseph Gordon Brady, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Ostönnen: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 0034 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED925
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Möhne Dam located east of Dortmund. While approaching the target, the aircraft was hit by the German Flak. The left wing and the left tank were hit by bullets and caught fire. Few seconds later, the left wing detached and the aircraft crashed. Five crew members were killed while two others were injured.
Crew (617th Squadron):
P/O A. F Burcher,
F/Sgt J. W. Fraser,
F/Lt J. V. Hopgood, †
Sgt C. Brennan, †
F/O K. Earnshaw, †
Sgt J. Minchin, †
P/O G. H. Gregory. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster in the Waddenzee: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED934
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 15 to attack the Sorpe Dam located southeast of Dortmund. While overflying The Netherlands by night at an altitude of 300 feet, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the Waddenzee, off Texel. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
P/O Vernon William Byers, pilot,
Sgt Alastair James Taylor, flight engineer,
P/O James Herbert Warner, navigator,
Sgt Arthur Neville Whitaker, air bomber,
Sgt John Wilkinson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Charles McAllister Jarvie, air gunner,
F/Sgt James McDowell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Marbeck: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED864
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 15 to attack the Möhne Dam located east of Dortmund. While overflying Germany by night, the crew lost his orientation and convinced he was flying to the wrong direction, the captain decided to reduce his altitude to follow a canal to the southeast. Flying at a too low altitude, the aircraft hit high tension cables and crashed in a huge explosion. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
F/Lt William Astell, pilot,
Sgt John Kinnear, flight engineer,
P/O Floyd Alvin Wile, navigator,
F/O Donald Hopkinson, air bomber,
Sgt Abram Garshowitz, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Francis Anthony Garbas, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Richard Bolitho, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Crew error.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Haldern: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED927
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 15 to attack the Sorpe Dam located southeast of Dortmund. While overflying Germany by night, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Haldern, killing all seven crew members.
Crew (617th Squadron):
F/Lt Robert Norman George Barlow, pilot,
P/O Samuel Leslie Whillis, flight engineer,
F/O Philip Sydney Burgess, navigator,
P/O Alan Gillespie, air bomber,
F/O Charles Rowland Williams, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/O Harvey Sterling Glinz, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Jack Robert George Liddell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Den Helder: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W4110
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
While approaching The Netherlands, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the North Sea some 20 km off Den Helder. All seven crew members were killed.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Melton Mowbray: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1943 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7545
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wigsley - Wigsley
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Wigsley at 1745LT on a night training sortie. Half an hour later, the bomber collided with a RAF Airspeed AS.10 Oxford registered AB665 and carrying a crew of two. Following the collision, both aircraft crashed in a field located two miles southeast of Melton Mowbray. All nine crew members on both aircraft were killed.
Crew (1654 HCU):
Sgt George Frederick M. Walker,
Sgt R. F. Davison 5.