Country
Germany
code

Lower Saxony

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I off Borkum Island: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1941 at 2300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7324
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Borkum Island
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2200LT on an operation to Berlin. One hour into the flight, the crew reported the right engine had failed. This was the last transmission. Two dead bodies were found but no trace of the airplane nor the rest of the crew. It appears that the airplane crashed into the sea some 30 km off Borkum Island.
Crew (97th Squadron):
F/Lt Gerald Oscar Ladler Bird,
P/O William Adam Brown,
Sgt Wallace Patrick Hannigan, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Kenneth John Hutt, observer,
Sgt Peter Norman Nutt,
Sgt Reginald George Pyatt.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Cloppenburg: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 11, 1941 at 0036 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N6010
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Location:
Cloppenburg
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 2211LT on May 10 on an operation to Berlin. While cruising at night, it collided with a Me.110 and crashed in Cloppenburg. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Neville Williams, pilot,
Sgt Eric John Rapley, pilot,
Sgt Raymond Charles Watkins, flight engineer,
F/O Donald Mackay, observer,
Sgt Will Frank Hodson, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Anthony Pickers, wireless operator,
Sgt Laurence Smith, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Lünne: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1941 at 0216 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1473
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Lünne
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 2308LT on May 8 on an operation to Bremen. While flying at night over Germany, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Lünne. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
W/Cdr William Monteith Graham, pilot, †
F/O Gavin John Lynes, pilot, †
Sgt T. E. Wady, observer,
F/Sgt Stanley Robert Gear, wireless operator, †
Sgt William Clark Hamilton, wireless operator, †
F/O Frank Stanley William Webb, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Leer: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 9, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
T4147
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Middleton St George - Middleton St George
MSN:
1840
YOM:
1940
Location:
Heisfelde
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2225LT on May 8 on an operation to Bremen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Heisfelde, in the north suburb of Leer. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Lawrence Thorpe, pilot,
P/O Ronald Walter Wallis-Stolze, pilot,
Sgt Peter James Lewis, observer,
F/Sgt Herbert Eric Bailey, wireless operator,
Sgt Peter William Reynolds Emmett, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Papenburg: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1941 at 2240 LT
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
Z6557
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
2028
YOM:
1941
Location:
Papenburg
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2044LT on an operation to Bremen. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Papenburg, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Victor Salway, pilot,
Sgt Victor John Stickland, pilot,
Sgt Norman Frederick Jackson, wireless operator,
Sgt Gerard Llynch, wireless operator,
Sgt Norman Albert Morant, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Borkum: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L9247
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Oulton - Oulton
Location:
Borkum
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Oulton on an anti-shipping mission. Approaching the German coast, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Borkum. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Matthew Anderton, pilot,
F/O Ronald Frederick Tapp, observer,
F/Sgt Ronald Godfrey St. James-Smith, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Meppen

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
T2804
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Location:
Meppen
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 2000LT on an operation to Berlin. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Meppen, maybe after being shot down by enemy fire. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Gordon William Stewart Ritchie, †
Sgt Cristen Stewart Greager, †
Sgt D. L. Jones,
Sgt John Christopher Fearon Everett, †
Sgt Robert Stewart Cairns, †
Sgt L. Ferris.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Holderfehn: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1437
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Location:
Holderfehn
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 2035LT on an operation to Germany. It was shot down over Lower Saxony and crashed in Holderfehn, near Oldenburg. Four crew members were killed and two others were seriously injured.
Crew:
Sgt John Edward Caddick, air gunner, †
Sgt Donald Day, pilot, †
F/Sgt Sidney Felman, wireless operator, †
Sgt Solomon Terry, wireless operator, †
Sgt D. Jameson,
Sgt A. C. Sutherland.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
T2473
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Location:
Veldhausen
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2032LT on an operation to Berlin. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Veldhausen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O George Guy Sharp, pilot,
P/O John Norman Fisher, pilot,
P/O Richard Cardew Rendle, observer,
Sgt Cyril Bruce Parris, wireless operator,
Sgt Joseph Anderson, wireless operator,
P/O Walter Patrick Strickland, air gunner.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Lohne: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
N6011
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Newmarket - Newmarket
Location:
Lohne
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Newmarket at 2040LT on an operation to Berlin. While flying over Germany at night, it was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in Lohne. Six crew members were killed and a seventh became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Victor Fernley Baker Pike, pilot, †
Sgt Clifford Sumner, pilot, †
F/Sgt Gordon Percy Carver Smith, observer, †
F/Sgt Anthony Charles Jupp, wireless operator, †
Sgt William Edward Osterfield, wireless operator, †
Sgt Alan James Whitby, wireless operator, †
LAC C. MacDonald.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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