Vickers 416 Wellington IC | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Newton at 0145LT on an operation to Boulogne. While returning to base the following night, it encountered foggy conditions when it impacted the slope of a hill located in Colborough Hill, near Halstead. A crew was injured and five others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Vernon Edward Pereira, pilot, †
Sgt Vernon Douglas Huggett, pilot, †
Sgt Peter Jarvis, observer, †
F/Sgt Ernest Burton Wilcox, wireless operator, †
Sgt Michael Edward Gardiner, air gunner, †
Sgt Edmunds.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Brightling: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 28, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1392

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Syerston - Syerston

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The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2257LT on May 27 on an operation to Boulogne. Hit by the German Flak in the port engine, it crashed in Darwell Hole, near Brightling. Four crew members were killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
F/O Bronisław Kuszczynski, †
Cpt Jan Stanisław Waroczewski, †
Cpt Cezary Wieczorek, †
Sgt S. Jozefiak,
Sgt J. Drozdz, †
Sgt Nilski.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Honington: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1941 at 0245 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1267

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Honington - Honington

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The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2245LT on May 16 on an operation to Boulogne-sur-Mer. While returning to base the following night, it crashed near the bomb dump area. A crew was killed and four others survived, among them two were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Leslie B. Mitchell, †
Sgt O. P. J. Richards,
Sgt S. D. J. Howarth,
Sgt T. W. Sutton,
Sgt D. H. Humphrey.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Prickwillow: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1587

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

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The crew was completing a cross-country training exercise when the Wellington collided with a Hurricane registered V7225 of 1401 Meteorology Flight. The bomber dove into the ground and crashed in Prickwillow, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
S/L anthony William John Clark, pilot,
P/O Graham Hardy Cotton, pilot,
Sgt Charles Edward Bushford, observer,
Sgt Alfred Pepper, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Albert Petter, wireless operator,
Sgt George Dixon Gray, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Oude Pekela: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1941 at 0140 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1494

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Newton - Newton

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The airplane departed RAF Newton in the evening of May 15 on an operation to Hanover. While flying over the Netherlands, the left engine failed. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in Oude Pekela. Two crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Raymond Gordon Eccles, pilot, †
Sgt Gordon MacLean, wireless operator, †
Sgt Edwin Currie Easton,
Sgt Sydney Eric Thomas Hamblin,
P/O Harry John Sellers,
P/O Archibald William Sulston.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Essen: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1167

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Alconbury - Alconbury

Location:

Essen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 2210LT on May 15 on an operation to Hanover. Over Essen, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Altendorf, in the suburb of Essen. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt William Ernest Moore, pilot, †
P/O Dixon Frederick Raeside Whyte, pilot, †
F/Sgt Leslie John Kennard, observer, †
Sgt Ivan John Adey, wireless operator, †
Sgt Richmond Meech, wireless operator, †
Sgt Percy Addison, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1941 at 0249 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1461

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Alconbury - Alconbury

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The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 2230LT on May 11 on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the German coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in the North Sea. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Denis Chappell, pilot,
F/Sgt Eugene Michael Mulligan, observer,
Sgt John Albion Harris,
Sgt John Edward Hodges, wireless operator,
Sgt John David Campbell Long,
Sgt Frederick Tom Luscombe.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Norderstedt: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1941 at 0214 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1462

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Stradishall - Stradishall

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The airplane departed RAF Stradishall in the evening of May 11 on an operation to Hamburg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Norderstedt, north of Hamburg. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Grahame Toplis, pilot,
Sgt Peter Richard Kenneth Burley, pilot,
Sgt Arnold Walker Gibson, observer,
Sgt Hubert William John Barr, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert Livesey, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Webley James, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Norderstapel: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1941 at 0143 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1330

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Alconbury - Alconbury

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The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 2225LT on May 11 on an operation to Hamburg. It was coned by searchlight then shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Norderstapel. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt James Bartle Murray, pilot, †
Sgt Roderick William Finlayson, pilot, †
Sgt Deryck Fletcher, observer, †
F/Sgt Harold Charles Tuckwell, wireless operator, †
Sgt J. Shaw, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Percy Herbert Beckett, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Tönning: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 11, 1941 at 0252 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1379

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

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The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2217LT on May 10 on an operation to Hamburg. While cruising over Germany at night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crash landed in Tönning. The pilot was killed and five other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt John Anderson, pilot, †
Sgt Dave W. Fraser,
Sgt Godfrey William Hogg,
Sgt Alex Mcbride Kerr,
Sgt Arthur Bernard Morgan,
Sgt W. J. A. Legg.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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