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

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1940 at 2339 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7809
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham on a bombing mission over Hamburg. While cruising at night, the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a Me.110 and crashed in an open field located in Köhlen. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (38th Squadron):
F/Lt Eugene George Frederick Chivers, pilot,
Sgt Francis William Davis, pilot,
Sgt John Bretland McConnell, observer,
Sgt William Cosgrove, wireless operator,
Sgt Alan Joseph Hughes, air gunner,
Sgt Raymond Wallace James, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Saint Osyth

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1940 at 0730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2740
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2324LT on October 23 on an operation to Emden. The next morning, while trying to make an emergency landing, the airplane crashed in Saint Osyth. The aircraft was destroyed and all six crew members were rescued.
Crew:
F/O D. W. Donaldson,
P/O Woollatt,
P/O Lawson,
Sgt Bell,
Sgt Bullen,
Sgt Lewis.

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

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P9292
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall on an operation to Berlin. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea off the Danish coast. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O William John Finlayson,
P/O Rex Martyn Sanderson,
Sgt Jack Gibbs,
Sgt William Grice Hitchmough,
Sgt Reginald William Bryant White,
P/O Frederick Bernard Cleak, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Methwold

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1940 at 2320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2820
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1730LT on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base, the crew encountered foggy conditions and was forced to divert to RAF Methwold. Too low on final approach, the airplane collided with trees and crashed 3 km short of runway. All six crew members were injured.
Crew:
F/L C. L. Gilbert,
P/O N. J. Edwards,
Sgt M. G. Harris,
Sgt F. Haigh,
Sgt J. D. Broad,
Sgt F. Read.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Manston

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1940 at 0030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R3158
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1805LT on October 21 on an operation to Eindhoven. It crash landed at 0030LT on Manston Aerodrome. Prior to the crash, the crew had had a narrow escape after colliding with a barrage balloon cable.
Crew:
F/O R. P. Elliott,
Sgt Musselwhite,
Sgt Johnson-Barrett,
Sgt Day,
Sgt McLaughlan,
Sgt Sheppard.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Stanmore: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1940 at 2145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2771
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham on an operation to Kiel. Few minutes after takeoff, the crew encountered icing conditions when control was lost. The airplane crashed on a tennis court located in Bentley Priory, near Stanmore. Five crew members were killed and a sixth occupant was seriously injured.
Crew (311th Squadron):
S/L Jan Vesely, †
P/O Jaroslav Matousek, †
P/O Jaroslav Slaby, †
Sgt Frantisek Zapletal, †
Sgt Josef Albrecht, †
P/O Frantisek Trular.
Probable cause:
Icing.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Penrith

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1940 at 0330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7857
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1820LT on October 16 on an operation to Kiel. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to abandon the aircraft and to bail out. The aircraft crashed near Penrith and was destroyed. All six crew members were uninjured.
Crew (75th Squadron):
P/O N. Greenaway,
Sgt W. Campbell,
Sgt R. Brown,
P/O J. Morton,
P/O H. Newman,
P/O A. Anderson.

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

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1940 at 0322 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2773
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham in the evening of October 16 on an operation to Kiel. While returning to base at night, after passing over the Dutch coast, the radio failed. The crew continued until arriving over England but eventually decided to abandon the airplane and bailed out. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed in a field located in Blidworth. A crew was killed and five other were uninjured.
Crew (311th Squadron):
F/L Joseph Šnajdr,
Sgt Leo Anderle,
P/O Joseph Richter,
P/O Miroslav Vejražka, †
P/O Joseph Fürbach,
Sgt Ulrich Langer.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Toddington

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P9278
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 1800LT on October 16 on an operation to Kiel. While returning to base at night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions over East Anglia and diverted to RAF Abingdon. On approach, the airplane collided with trees and crashed in Toddington, northwest of Luton. All four crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt F. Bevan,
Sgt W. F. Jones,
Sgt H. Rossiter,
Sgt J. M. McLean.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Oosterwolde: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1940 at 2145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7844
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1850LT on a bombing mission over Kiel. While flying over the Netherlands at night, it was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in a field located in Oosterwolde, southwest of Groningen. Four crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew (311th Squadron):
P/O Bohumil Landa, pilot, †
Sgt Emanuel Novotný, copilot,
P/O Hubert Jarošek, navigator, †
Sgt Karel Klimt, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Otto Jirsák, front gunner, †
Sgt Augustýn Karel Šesták, rear gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.