Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress in Buin: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-9153
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
2625
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
En route, the four-engine bomber christened 'Tokyo Taxi' was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter and crashed in flames near the Kahili Airfield, in the region of Buin. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew (23rd BS):
Cpl William T. Davis,
1st Lt Rex Eckles,
2nd Lt William H. Fox,
S/Sgt Raymond H. Greene,
Sgt Paul L. Hensley,
Cpl Edmund O. Hill,
2nd Lt David C. Jones,
Sgt Herbert J. Kelly,
2nd Lt Richard H. Knop,
Sgt Charles D. Savedge.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Mt Grammont: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1943 at 0035 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED412
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Langar at 2236LT on a bombing mission to Torino. En route, while cruising at an altitude of 18,000 feet, the crew encountered stormy weather and decided to reduce his altitude and to reroute. In poor visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Le Grammont located southwest of Le Bouveret. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (207th Squadron):
P/O Horace Badge, pilot,
Sgt Robert Wood, flight engineer,
F/S Ronald Oswald Charles Brett, air gunner,
Sgt James Arthur Spence, air gunner,
Sgt Edward Higgins, wireless operator,
Sgt Arthur Charles Wright, observer,
F/Lt Arthur Charles Jepps, navigator.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-65-CO Liberator in Babo: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-40492
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
1569
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a bombing mission in the Babo region when the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter and crashed in a jungle. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was eventually located in May 1972.
Crew:
S/Sgt Eugene H. Allen,
S/Sgt Charles R. Cross,
T/S Ronald A. Dardis,
2nd Lt Marcus I. Friedlander,
2nd Lt William F. Kahn,
S/Sgt Clyde E. Kallstrom,
1st Lt Francis G. McDowell,
S/Sgt Daniel S. Murphy,
2nd Lt Gilman F. Shelley,
S/Sgt Leonard J. Wozniak.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA on Mt Kekneno: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-195
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
414-6459
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a bombing mission to Penfoei with a crew of five. En route, while cruising jointly with three other similar aircrafts, crew was informed that weather was deteriorating at destination. As all three other aircraft's crew decided to return to their departure point, captain of A16-195 decided to continue. Few minutes later, while cruising in low visibility due to poor weather conditions, aircraft hit mount Kekneno located some 100 km northeast of Kupang and was destroyed on impact. Debris were found some days later and all five crew were killed.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
S/L C. C. Williams, pilot,
F/O R. C. Lindsay, air gunner,
F/O W. A. Hepworth, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Lt A. M. Fowler, navigator,
F/Sgt D. C. Farmer.
Probable cause:
The pilot decided to continue the flight despite poor weather conditions and low visibility (below minima).

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III off the Fiji Islands: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ2025
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Nausori - Nausori
MSN:
414-3845
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a antisubmarine patrol flight off the Fiji Islands coast and left Nausori Airport that day. En route, the aircraft ditched in the ocean. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew (4th Squadron):
F/O Alistair Parata,
Sgt Albert Moss,
W/O Egbert Willis,
F/Sgt George Billson,
Sgt Michael Horgan.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be established but it seems possible that it was the consequence of a double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were poor and the experience of the crew was low, which was considered as contributing factors.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Wijk aan Zee: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1943 at 0251 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED373
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Ludford Magna - Ludford Magna
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Ludford Magna in the evening of June 25 on a bombing mission to Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Following an uneventful mission, while returning to its base and overflying The Netherlands by night with one engine inoperative, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. Out of control, the aircraft crashed into the sea less than one mile off the Dutch coast. A crew member was taken PoW while all six other occupant were killed.
Crew (101st Squadron):
F/Sgt Ivan William Banks, pilot, †
Sgt Norman Stanley Mould, flight engineer, †
Sgt Harold James Toze, navigator, †
Sgt T. G. Brook, air bomber,
Sgt John Henry William Snowdon, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Geoffrey Victor Branson, air gunner, †
Sgt Ronald Pugh, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress into the Baining Mountains: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-2430
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Port Moresby - Dobodura - Port Moresby
MSN:
2241
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Dobodura Airfield at 0145LT to bomb the airport of Rabaul-Vunakanau. Following an uneventful mission, the crew left the combat area when it was attacked by the pilot of a Japanese fighter. The aircraft christened 'Naughty But Nice' went out of control and only the navigator was able to bail out before the aircraft crashed into the Baining Mountains, south of Rabaul. All nine other crew members were killed.
Crew (43rd BG):
1st Lt William J. Sarsfield Jr., pilot, †
2nd Lt Charles E. Trimingham, copilot, †
1st Lt Francis G. Peattie, bombardier, †
1st Lt Jose L. Holguin, navigator
2nd Lt Herman H. Knott, bomb aimer, †
T/Sgt Robert L. Christopherson, flight engineer, †
S/Sgt Henry Garcia, second flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Leonard A. Gionet, radio operator, †
S/Sgt Robert E. Griebel, assistant to the radio operator, †
S/Sgt Pace P. Payne, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling in Hamont: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1943 at 0145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EF366
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Oakington at 0007LT on a bombing mission to Krefeld, Germany. While overflying Belgium by night at an altitude of 11,000 feet, the aircraft was intercepted amd shot down by two German fighters. The Stirling lost altitude and the captain attempted to make an emergency landing. On final, the aircraft stalled, hit the ground, went out of control and came to rest in flames on the bank of a canal. The captain and the navigator were killed while all five other occupants were taken PoW.
Crew (7th Squadron):
Bruce Meiklejohn, pilot, †
Charles Redwood, navigator, †
Bill Cole, flight engineer,
Frank Hugo, bomb aimer,
Leslie Ellingham, radio operator,
Jack Kilfoyle, air gunner,
Edgar Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax in Venray: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
HR799
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
En route, the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. Six crew members were able to bail out while two others were killed when the aircraft crashed in a field.
Crew killed were Sgt W. Brown and F/O H. Krohn.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.63 Halifax V in Den Hoorn: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1943 at 0213 LT
Operator:
Registration:
DK183
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Leeming in the evening of June 12 on a bombing mission to Bochum, Germany. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in flames in a field. Four crew were killed while three others were injured.
Crew (427th Squadron):
P/O Al M. Fellner, pilot,
Sgt J. Imms, †
P/O G. Dalton, †
P/O W. Thurston,
P/O B. Tedford, †
Sgt A. Dixon, †
P/O G. Huston.
Source & photos: http://www.626-squadron.co.uk/willem23.htm
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.