Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Texel: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 0021 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W4894
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Warboys - Warboys
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Warboys on April 3rd on a bombing mission to Essen, Germany. While returning to its base following an uneventful mission and while overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed into the Lake Wadden, ten miles east of Texel. All seven crew were killed. Few debris of the aircraft were found in 1989.
Crew (156th Squadron):
F/Sgt Reginald Anderson Byass, pilot,
Sgt G. R. Minns, flight engineer,
F/O Gregory James Black, observer,
Sgt Norman Ray Thurecht, bomb aimer,
Sgt Russell Seymour Trigwell, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt D. L. Robertson, air gunner,
Sgt S. E. Crooks, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III off Texel: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED431
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Fiskerton - Fiskerton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Fiskerton in the evening on a bombing mission over Essen. While approaching the Dutch coast by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea, about 15 km off Texel. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (49th Squadron):
Sgt James Myles Thom, pilot,
Sgt David Gow Fairlie, flight engineer,
F/S John Henry Prior, navigator,
F/S Kenneth Bolton, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Douglas Stuart Bratt, air gunner,
W/O Alexander Manson Horne, bomb aimer,
Sgt Frank Harry Liddon Vines, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Vlielandin: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED485
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Warboys - Warboys
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Warboys at 1807LT on a bombing mission over Wilhelmshaven. While approaching the Dutch coast by night, the aircraft crashed into the North Sea about 15 km off the Vlieland Island. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew (156th Squadron):
P/O Thomas Edward Case,
P/O Harry William Welch,
Sgt Hugh Alexander McLennan,
Sgt Elias Cuthbert,
P/O Pierre Yves Camille Tremblay 2.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I Saint-Brisson: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7547
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bottesford - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Bottesford at 1914LT on February 13 on a bombing mission over Milan. On the return leg to RAF Langar, while overflying France, crew noticed that all four engines' temperature was too high. Shortly later, the engine number one fired and exploded. The crew decided to abandon the aircraft but only two crew bailed out and survived while five other occupants were killed when the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Saint Brisson, west of Saulieu.
Crew (207th Squadron):
F/Sgt John H. F. Whyte, pilot,
F/Sgt Stanley H. Eyre, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Thomas William Strong, observer, †
Sgt Frank Ivan Tillen, navigator, †
Ft/Sgt Athol Richard Grainger, †
Sgt Henry George Bone, †
Sgt Kenneth White. †
Probable cause:
Overheating, fire and explosion of the engine number one.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Valsonne: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1943 at 2230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W4118
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
YOM:
1942
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
340
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Syerston at 1810LT on a bombing mission over Torino. While approaching Lyon, two engines failed. The captain reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing in Valsonne, 30 km northwest of Lyon. By night and in low visibility, the aircraft hit the ground and crashed. Four crew members were killed while four others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Crew (106th Squadron):
Sgt D. L. Thompson, pilot,
Sgt Norman Burt Johnstone, flight engineer,
F/S Frank Lawrence Darlington, navigator,
F/O George Roland Powell, bombardier,
Sgt Wilfrid Eric Baker, radio operator,
Sgt R. P. Sutton, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt J. Picken, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt P. Ward, bombardier.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I near Bourg-Saint-Maurice: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED352
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
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 at 1803LT on February 4 on a bombing mission over Turin. While approaching the Alps by night and very poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the Belleface face located in the massif of La Pointe de La Terrasse, near Bourg-Saint-Maurice. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was located few months later in an mountainous and isolated area.
Crew (57th Squadron):
F/O Alistair Frank Gray Ritch, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Cosford, flight engineer,
Sg Denis George Busby, navigator,
Sgt Eric Atkins, navigator,
Sgt Douglas McNeill, radio operator,
Sgt Eric Norman Perkins, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Shears, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Hamont: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1943 at 2127 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED488
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful bombing mission over Germany, while overflying Belgium by night, the aircraft was attacked by the pilot of a German fighter. The crew decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near a farm. Four crew members were rescued while three others were killed. According to the RAF, two of them were killed during the attack while the third was killed as his parachute did not open properly.
Crew (50th Squadron):
F/O Al Power, pilot, †
F/O Tom Church, navigator,
Sgt Norman Clark, radio operator,
Sgt R. A. Holland,
Sgt Victor Mitchell, wireless operator,
F/L Jack Bousfield, air gunner, †
Sgt Stanley Beadon, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in RAF Winthorpe

Date & Time: Feb 1, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7530
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overrun and came to rest in a field. No casualties.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Petten: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W4835
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Woodhall Spa - Woodhall Spa
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
While approaching the Dutch coast, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea, 10 km southwest off Petten. All seven crew members were killed.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Hawnby Hill: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED481
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Waddington on a bombing mission to Hamburg. Following an uneventful mission, the crew was returning to his base when his was instructed by ground to divert to RAF Leeming. Later, the aircraft run out of fuel and crashed at Hawnby Hill, near Northallerton. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Frank Goheen Nelson, pilot,
Sgt Allan McKeen, flight engineer,
Sgt George Francis Done, navigator,
Sgt Alan Arthur Frederick Williams, navigator,
Sgt Henry Summers Jones, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Arthur William Butcher, air gunner,
Sgt Walter George Murton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.