North Sea

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

2056

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2027LT on April 17 on an operation to Berlin. It was lost without trace, maybe it crashed somewhere in the North Sea. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Donovan Gibson, pilot,
F/O Leslie Edward Pearson, pilot,
Sgt Cyril Edward Gansler, observer,
Sgt Harold Douglas Bowles, wireless operator,
Sgt Leonard William Flint, wireless operator.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the North Sea

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z6582

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

2053

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2037LT on April 17 on an operation to Berlin. It was hit by the German Flak over Hamburg and later crashed in the North Sea some 60 miles off Blyth. All five crew members were rescued.
Crew:
Sgt Cradduck,
Sgt Turner,
P/O Birch,
Sgt Morgan,
Sgt J. W. Middleton.

Probable cause:

Hit by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1941

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Registration:

X2999

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Schedule:

Waddington - Waddington

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The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 2015LT on an operation to Berlin. It was lost without trace, maybe it crashed somewhere in the North Sea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Edward Sneeston, pilot,
Sgt Eric Norman Brundish,
Sgt John William Mulford,
Sgt John Melville Taylor.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

N3569

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Schedule:

Bodney - Bodney

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The airplane departed RAF Bodney at 1257LT on an anti-shipping operation off Heligoland, Germany. It was lost without trace, maybe it crashed somewhere in the North Sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Wilfred Gadsby,
F/Sgt John Maurice Irving,
Sgt John Gardner MacIlwraith.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1941 at 0152 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z6468

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Site:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

1980

YOM:

1940

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2027LT on April 7 on an operation to Kiel. Last contact heard at 0152LT. The airplane probably crashed somewhere in the North Sea. No trace was found. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/Cdr Francis Charles Cole,
F/Sgt Walter Edward Craven,
F/Sgt John Derbyshire,
Sgt Harold Raymond Martin,
Sgt Robert Cyril Smith.

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

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1941

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Registration:

R1380

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Schedule:

Stradishall - Stradishall

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The airplane departed RAF Stradishall on an operation to Kiel. It was lost without trace, maybe it crashed somewhere in the North Sea. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Ronald Arthur Chatfield,
Sgt Herbert Robinson Eeaston,
Sgt Kenneth Manson,
Sgt Cecil Harry Reuben Mercer,
Sgt Roylance Claude Plummer,
Sgt Russell Arthur Williams.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z5818

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Schedule:

Bodney - Bodney

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The airplane departed RAF Bodney on an anti-shipping mission. It was lost without trace, maybe it crashed somewhere in the North Sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Alan Arthur Ford,
Sgt William Clifford Haynes,
Sgt Albert Lee.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88C-4 into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 31, 1941 at 2215 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

R4+HM

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Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

0618

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The airplane departed Gilze-Rijen AFB on an operation to England. It crashed in unknown circumstances in the North Sea some 90 km east of Bridlington, Yorkshire. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Gefr Otto Krüger, pilot,
Gefr August Kronewitter, radio operator,
Gefr Heinrich Keller, air gunner.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z5903

Flight Phase:

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Survivors:

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