Vickers 416 Wellington IC | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1716LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. Approaching the target area, it was damaged by the German Flak. The crew returned to base when the left engine caught fire, causing the propeller to fell off. The airplane went out of control and crash landed in the North Sea some 100 km west of Petten. Three crew members were killed and three others were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Alois Šiška, pilot,
Sgt Josef Tomanek, pilot, †
F/O Josef Mohr, observer, †
F/O Josef Šcerba, wireless operator,
Sgt Pavel Svoboda, air gunner,
Sgt Rudolf Skalicky, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Engine fire in flight after being damaged by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Ashburton

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z8971

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

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The airplane departed RAF Feltwell on an operation to Brest. While returning to base, it crashed for unknown reasons in Dartmoor, northwest of Ashburton. All six crew members escaped with minor injuries.
Crew:
Sgt Machin, pilot,
Sgt Thompson,
Sgt G. S. Bolshaw,
Sgt W. F. Bourne,
Sgt Buckby,
Sgt J. D. Clements.

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

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1941 at 2030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z1097

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

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The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 1700LT on an operation to Düsseldorf. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed near Heeze. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
W/O Thomas Purdy, pilot, †
Sgt Maxwell Joseph Cronin, pilot, †
Sgt Robert Frederick Aldous, wireless operator, †
Sgt Walter James Poulton, air gunner, †
F/O Ronald Cave Scarlett, †
Sgt Stanley Barraclough.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Dec 27, 1941 at 2015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z1115

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Oakington - Oakington

Location:

Wegberg

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 1700LT on an operation to Düsseldorf. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Wegberg, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt James Deane Anderson, pilot,
P/O Gerald Kurt Kenneth Keston Pelmore, pilot,
Sgt Owen Ernest Rance, observer,
Sgt Stanley Johnson, wireless operator,
Sgt Peter Cedric Williams, wireless operator,
Sgt David Smith Edmond, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1941 at 2345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z8834

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

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The airplane departed RAF Feltwell on an operation to Brest. While returning to base in the late evening, the airplane crashed for unknown reasons in Elveden while the crew awaited their landing instructions. The pilot was killed and five other crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Loch Lomond Bentley, pilot, †
Sgt T. W. Burke,
Sgt H. Ives,
Sgt K. C. Wilkes,
Sgt W. H. Olrod,
Sgt S. V. Hardman.

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

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1941 at 1905 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1064

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Lindholme - Lindholme

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Lindholme at 1657LT on an operation to Ostend. At 1905LT, while returning to base, the crew was calling for assistance when the airplane crashed into the sea. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Jan Blazejewski,
Sgt Bogusław Golabek,
F/O Jan Komlacz, observer,
F/O M. Szczodrowski,
Sgt K. Suwalski,
Sgt H. Rutkowski.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Powerstock

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

X9785

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

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The airplane departed RAF Marham at 1840LT on an operation to Brest. The starboard engine failed and after his crew have bailed out, the pilot crash-landed at Holm Farm near Powerstock and escaped uninjured. All five other crew parachuted to safety, except one who broke a leg.
Crew:
Sgt Vezina,
Sgt Harding,
P/O Brown,
Sgt Willett,
Sgt Toynbee-Clark,
Sgt Crump.

Probable cause:

Failure of the starboard engine in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Snaith

Date & Time: Dec 14, 1941 at 1145 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z8849

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Snaith - Snaith

Location:

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The airplane overshot and crash landed at RAF Snaith and was damaged beyond repair. A crew was injured.
Crew:
Sgt M. D. Lewis.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington in Upavon

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1941 at 1620 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

W5727

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

Location:

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Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Marham at 1520LT on an operation to Brest. The port engine caught fire while outbound, and the crew were ordered to bail out. The pilot diverted to RAF Upavon where the airplane crash landed and was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Sgt Brewerton,
Sgt Longmore,
Sgt Cox,
P/O Taylor,
Sgt Williamson,
Sgt McDonald.

Probable cause:

The left engine caught fire after takeoff.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near RAF East Wretham: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1941 at 2050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

T2959

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

Location:

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Region:

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The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 1625LT on an operation to Le Havre. While returning to base in the evening, it crashed for unknown reasons three miles from RAF East Wretham. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Donald Austin Watson, pilot,
Sgt Philip Leslie Gurd, pilot,
Sgt Edwin Rowland Carter, observer,
Sgt Stanley Heelis Jackson, wireless operator,
Sgt John Mortimer McKenzie, wireless operator,
Sgt Ranulph Paul Manwaring, air gunner.