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

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LM465
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Mildenhall in the evening of June 12 on a bombing mission to Gelsenkirchen. While overflying The Netherlands, the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in a field located in Tienray. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Carl Thompson, pilot,
Roderick McMillan, navigator,
Ronald Lemky, flight engineer,
Sgt Jack Trend, radio operator,
Sgt Tom Stubbs, air gunner,
Sgt Duke Pelham, air gunner,
Sgt Dick Mobbs, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Eerbeck: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LM158
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tuddenham - Tuddenham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Tuddenham at 2331LT on June 12 on a bombing mission to Gelsenkirchen. While overflying The Netherlands, the bomber was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Eerbeck. The air bomber was taken POW while all six other occupants were killed.
Crew (90th Squadron):
F/O A. C. Elliott, pilot, †
Sgt D. C. Kibble, flight engineer, †
F/O A. Allan, navigator, †
F/O P. C. Hoffas, air bomber,
F/S K. C. Walker, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt D. M. Willmott, mid upper gunner, †
Sgt E. R. Cocker, rear gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Oirschot: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LL812
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Mildenhall at 2300LT on June 12 on a bombing mission to Gelsenkirchen. While overflying The Netherlands, the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a German night fighter and crashed in a field located in Oirschot, northwest of Eindhoven. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (622th Squadron):
P/O William Frederick Henry Rattle, pilot,
Sgt Richard John William Moore, navigator,
Sgt Francis Michael Leaney, flight engineer,
F/S Richard Paul Percival Holden,
F/O Walter Richard Tanner, air bomber,
Sgt Martin Dea, mid gunner,
Sgt Reginald Bramley, rear gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German night fighter.

Crash of a Avro 683 Lancaster III in Sommelsdijk: 8 killed

Date & Time: May 28, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LM459
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The aircraft was involved in a bombing mission over Leopodsburg, Belgium. While overflying The Netherlands, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Sommelsdijk, southwest of Rotterdam. All eight crew members were killed.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Thurgarton: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7578
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a training mission. En route, while cruising at low altitude, the bomber hit tree tops and crashed in a field. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (44th Squadron):
P/O George Benjamin Sanderson, pilot,
Sgt James Graham Middlemas, flight engineer,
Sgt Albert Dennis Clark, navigator,
P/O Archibald Thomas Noble, bomb aimer,
Sgt Bernard Broe, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/S Dennis Wright, air gunner,
Sgt Derek Nicholls, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, it was shown that the crew was inexperienced.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster X in Tilburg: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
KB706
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Middleton Saint George - Middleton Saint George
MSN:
37007
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
While overflying The Netherlands, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in unknown circumstances in a field located near Tilburg. Six crew members were killed while the seventh occupant was seriously injured. The only survivor died from his injuries a day later.
Crew (419th Squadron):
P/O Donald Matthews Robson, pilot,
P/O Philip Seagar Smith, navigator,
F/O Gordon Robert Lauder, bomb aimer,
Sgt Thomas Harry James Smith, wireless operator,
P/O William Davidson Lillico, air gunner,
Sgt Bernard Reginald Morgan , air gunner,
Sgt John Hoarty, flight engineer.

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

Date & Time: May 23, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LL744
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft was involved in a bombing mission to Braunschweig when approaching the Dutch coast, it went out of control and crashed into the North Sea, some 10 km off Camperduin. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt D. F. Duggan,
Sgt E. Hopkinson,
W/O F. M. Linton,
F/S K. G. Lawrence,
Sgt W. E. McIllwaine,
Sgt C. Reid,
F/L George Charles Startin.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Molenaarsgraaf: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1944 at 0152 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ND559
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft was involved in a bombing mission to Duisburg, Germany. While overflying Holland by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. In flames, the aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground. During the fall, the pilot was able to bail out before the aircraft crashed in an open field. While the pilot survived and was taken POW, all six other crew members were killed.
Crew (156th Squadron):
F/S W. J. Ward, pilot,
Sgt S. G. Smith, flight engineer, †
F/S E. E. E. Roberts, navigator, †
F/S R. G. Watts, wireless operator, †
F/S R. Keating, air bomber, †
S/L J. E. Blair, air gunner, †
Sgt J. T. E. McCaffery, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Geldrop: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1944 at 0138 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LL695
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Waterbeach - Waterbeach
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Waterbeach at 2242LT on May 21 on a bombing mission to Duisburg, Germany. While overflying Holland by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in Geldrop, some 6 km southeast of Eindhoven. Three crew members were killed.
Crew (514th Squadron):
F/S C. J. Medland,
Sgt Sealtiel, †
F/O D. Walker,
F/S L. J. Venus,
Sgt L. Shimmonds,
Sgt C. E. Rose, †
Sgt B. R. Williams. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Rosendaal: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
LM539
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fiskerton - Fiskerton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft was overflying Holland when it was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. It flames, it went out of control and dove into the ground. During the fall, one of the crew was able to bail out and was later recovered and taken POW. All six other crew members were killed when the aircraft crashed in a field located in Rosendaal, some 13 km northeast of Bergen op Zoom.
Crew (49th Squadron):
P/O H. J. Carrington, pilot, †
Sgt R. F. Coleman, flight engineer, †
Sgt J. H. E. Hales, navigator, †
Sgt R. C. Hill, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt R. W. Berry, air gunner, †
F/S S. A. Silver, bomb aimer,
Sgt L. Foulkes, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.