Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

L7864

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

El Adem - Buerat

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed El Adem at 2315LT on a flight to Buerat. Few minutes after takeoff, one of the engine failed. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a desert area located 11 km north of El Adem. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all six crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt J. F. R. Morrison,
P/O R. Salmon,
P/O La Brish,
Sgt Clay,
Sgt D. Griffin,
Sgt James.

Probable cause:

Engine failure after takeoff.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Borkum Island: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1942 at 2215 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

DV423

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lindholme - Lindholme

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Lindholme at 1741LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. In the late evening, while returning to base, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Borkum Island. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Jan Zajac, pilot,
Sgt Stanisław Garstka, pilot,
P/O Jozef Maczynski, navigator,
Sgt Rajmund Antoni Pokrzywa, wireless operator,
Sgt Jacek Strzyzewski, wireless operator,
F/O Tadeusz Jozef Klewicz, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Schellingwoude NAS: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1942 at 2208 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

X9824

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Alconbury - Alconbury

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 1645LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. While returning to base in the late evening and passing over the Netherlands, it suffered an engine failure and crashed in the Waddenzee off Schellingwoude NAS. Two crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Paul Sampson Sanders, pilot,
Sgt Fred Pearson, copilot, †
Sgt Leonard John Benson, observer,
Sgt George William Tode, wireless operator,
Sgt Arthur Desmond Edwin St. Clare Smithe, air gunner, †
Sgt Eric William Wainwright, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Terschelling: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1942 at 2200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z1082

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lindholme - Lindholme

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Lindholme at 1749LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. Flying along the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed into the sea off Terschelling. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt S. Obiorek,
Sgt B. Patek,
F/O J. Kurek,
F/Sgt A. Kwiecien,
Sgt A. Rogowski,
Sgt A. Sankowski.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Tavistock

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1942 at 0615 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5682

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

East Wretham - East Wretham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 0340LT on an operation to Brest. Unable to locate the target area, the crew decided to return to base when the airplane suffered an engine failure. The bombs were jettisoned and the airplane crash landed at 0615LT some two miles east from Tavistock, coming to rest against a haystack. All six crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
F/O Slama,
Sgt J. Fina,
Sgt Mazurek,
Sgt Raiskup,
Sgt Sipula,
Sgt J. Svoboda.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off RAF Portreath: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 7, 1942 at 0430 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z9040

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Gibraltar

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a transit flight to Gibraltar. Few minutes after takeoff, while flying at night along the coast, it went out of control and crashed into the sea off RAF Portreath, about 31 km southwest of RAF St Eval. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Harry Wallace Tindley,
Sgt Leslie Jennings, wireless operator,
Sgt Arthur Thompson Rene Renshaw,
Sgt Alan John Griffiths,
Sgt Myles David Gould.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near RAF Methwold: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1942 at 0530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z1096

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 0520LT on an operation to Brest. Ten minutes later, while climbing, it went out of control and crashed near RAF Methwold, bursting into flames. Five crew members were killed and a sixth was injured.
Crew:
F/Lt Douglas Roy Richardson, pilot, †
Sgt Robert Louis Nathaniel Simmons, pilot, †
Sgt Eric Ewings, observer, †
Sgt Victor Haig Mountstephens, wireless operator, †
Sgt Lawrence Joseph Roe, wireless operator, †
P/O S. G. Carter, air gunner.

Probable cause:

No immediate cause could be discovered as to why the bomber had crashed and it was later concluded that the most likely reason for the tragedy was pilot disorientation.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Newmarket: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Operator:

Registration:

L7863

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Newmarket - Newmarket

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local night training flight at RAF Newmarket. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, one of the engine caught fire. The captain attempted to return for an emergency landing when, on short final, the airplane stalled, collided with an embankment and eventually crashed onto a building, bursting into flames. Eight crew members were killed and two others were seriously injured.
Crew (3rd ATG):
F/Sgt Frederick Thomas Miniken, pilot, †
Sgt Reginald Alfred Butcher, wireless operator, †
Sgt M. T. Coon, wireless operator,
Sgt Gerald Geoffrey Cornes, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt R. H. W. Lawrence, wireless operator,
AC1 Thomas Menzies, flight engineer, †
Sgt John Philpin Williams, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Anthony John Browne, air gunner, †
Sgt Albert David Matthews, air gunner, †
Sgt Herbert Wolstenholme, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Stall on final approach following an engine fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Isle of Portland: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R1519

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: