Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder near Alotau

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
40-1446
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1446
YOM:
1940
Location:
Alotau
Milne Bay
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a bombing mission in the region of Alotau when he was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to the explosion of the right engine. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, all eight crew members were unhurt.
Probable cause:
Explosion of the right engine.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Camperduin: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942 at 2053 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF396
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Newmarket - Newmarket
Location:
Camperduin
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Newmarket in the evening on a flight to Wolfsburg, Germany, to bomb a Volkswagen factory. While approaching the Dutch coast by night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea few miles off shore. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew (75th Squadron):
W/C V. Mitchell,
W/O T. H. Bagnall,
Sgt R. Hart,
W/O R. W. Pearson,
Sgt G. T. Padden,
Sgt S. J. Goff,
Sgt A. H. Rider,
F/S A. C. W. Parker.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in Mt Kokoda: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
40-1529
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Port Moresby - Port Moresby
MSN:
1529
YOM:
1940
Location:
Kokoda
Central
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Port Moresby-Schwimmer Aerodrome at 1015LT to attack the Buna Airfield. En route, weather conditions worsened and the aircraft disappeared above the Kokoda mountains shrouded in clouds. No trace of the aircraft christened 'Fury' nor the crew was found.
Crew (22nd BG):
1st Lt Franklin J. Anderson, pilot,
Sgt William Llewellyn Scanlan, copilot,
2nd Lt Sidney H. Willoughby, navigator,
1st Lt Edward H. Hansen, bombardier,
Sgt John H. McLean, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Thomas R. Powell, radio operator,
S/Sgt George W. Whitley Jr., air gunner.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura II in Eindhoven: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1942 at 1239 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
AE902
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
MSN:
4245
Location:
Eindhoven
North Brabant
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Feltwell to bomb a Philips factory located in Eindhoven. On target, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in a field, killing all four crew members.
Crew (487th Squadron):
Sgt J. L.Greening,
Sgt E. C. Mowforth,
Sgt D. H. Harries,
Sgt B. H. Thomas.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura I in Eindhoven: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1942 at 1239 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
AE702
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Location:
Eindhoven
North Brabant
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Feltwell to bomb a Philips factory located in Eindhoven. On target, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into a block of houses, killing all four crew members.
Crew (464th Squadron):
F/O Maurice G. Moor, pilot,
F/O Nathan Cohen, navigator,
P/O Sidney A. Venneear, wireless operator,
Sgt Mervyn Lionel Vivian Hass, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-5-CO Liberator in Abbeville: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
41-23786
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Shipdham - Shipdham
MSN:
581
Location:
Abbeville
Somme
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
While approaching Abbeville, the four engine aircraft was attacked by several German Fw.190. Engines number three and four were hit and caught fire. The aircraft lost altitude, dove into the ground and crashed in a field, killing all ten occupants.
Crew (68th Squadron):
1st Lt James D. Du Bard Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Henry B. Kaitala, copilot,
2nd Lt Richard V. Somerville, navigator,
2nd Lt George A. Crawford, bombardier,
Sgt Charles S. Dick, flight engineer,
Sgt William G. Mears, radio operator,
S/Sgt Paul E. Beverly, assistant engineer,
Sgt Anthony F. Rizzo, assistant radio operator,
Sgt Robert F. Lilley, air gunner,
Sgt Donald M. Smith, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress in Port Moresby: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-9194
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Port Moresby - Port Moresby
MSN:
2666
YOM:
1941
Location:
Port Moresby
National Capital District
Country:
Papua New Guinea
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
On approach to Port Moresby-Seven Mile Airport, while returning from a combat mission, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located between the airports of Five Mile and Seven Mile. Four crew members were killed while five others were injured.
Crew (43rd BG):
1st Lt Robert K. Freeman, pilot, †
2nd Lt Harry L. Moy, pilot,
2nd Lt Clinton L. Smith, copilot, †
S/Sgt Richard M. Cullisun,
S/Sgt James M. Iverson, †
Sgt Wilbert H. Grogan,
Cpl Saul Berstein ,
Cpl Morris McFarland,
Cpl Robert F. Wright. †

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Helleland: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7801
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Skitten - Skitten
Location:
Helleland
Rogaland
Country:
Norway
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Skitten to attack a water production plant located in Vemork, Norway. En route, the aircraft went out of control and crashed, killing all seven crew members.
Probable cause:
The accident may have been caused by icing.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in RAF Talbenny

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
DV779
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Talbenny - Talbenny
Location:
Talbenny AFB
Pembrokeshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed shortly after lift off when the flap lever was accidentally touched whilst the undercarriage was being retracted. The aircraft stalled and crashed. All seven crew members, among them Sgt Jan Hadravek, were unhurt.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Champignol-lez-Mondeville: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1942 at 2000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
L7546
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Langar - Langar
Location:
Champignol-lez-Mondeville
Aube
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Langar at 1801LT on a bombing mission to Genoa, Italy. While overflying Aube by night, the bomber went out of control and crashed in an open field located in Champignol-lez-Mondeville, some 50 km southeast of Troyes. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew (207th Squadron):
P/O A. V. R. S. Wilson, pilot,
Sgt William Alfred Henry Ball, flight engineer,
F/Sgt William James Rose, navigator,
Sgt John Henry Lovell,
F/Sgt Arthur John Perrin, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Robert Peter Strain, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Charles Woodrow Wilson Peck, air gunner.
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