North Brabant | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was engaged in a bombing mission. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a pasture located in Dinteloord. All seven crewmen were killed.
Crew (640th Squadron):
P/O Reginald Earnshaw, pilot,
Sgt Charles Arthur Hensey, engineer,
Sgt Roger John Sampson, navigator,
Sgt William Mabon, radio operator,
F/S John Anthony Murphy, engineer,
Sgt William Alfred Pullen.
F/S John Riordan.

Crash of a Avro 683 Lancaster I in Duizel: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 11, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

LL784

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Schedule:

Coningsby - Coningsby

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The crew was engaged on a bombing mission over Aachen, Germany, and left RAF Coningsby at 2043LT. Following the raid over Aachen, still flying in the combat area, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire. Crew was able to leave the zone and tried to return to England when aircraft exploded and crashed in a field located near Duizel, some 15 km southwest of Eindhoven. Five crew members were killed while two others escaped and were later taken POW.
Crew (619th Squadron):
S/L John William Eunson Duncan McGilvray, pilot, †
Sgt Ivor Ronald Frank Haberfield, engineer, †
Sgt Raymond Hillier, air gunner, †
W/O Alexander Armstrong Munro, air gunner, †
P/O John Leonard Pritchard, air gunner, †
Ernest Drake,
Alfred Baker.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Martin B-26B-15-MA Marauder in Oosterhout: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

41-31644

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The crew was engaged in a bombing mission over the Gilze-Rijen airbase located near Tilburg. After completing this mission, the aircraft left the target area when it was hit by Flak. Four crew members were able to bail out while the captain was killed when the aircraft crashed in a field located in Oosterhout.
Crew killed:
Charles Vernon Thornton, pilot.

Probable cause:

Shot down by Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Rijen: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 0200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

ED865

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Scampton - Scampton

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The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Sorpe Dam located southeast of Dortmund. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in flames in a field. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
P/O Lewis Johnstone Burpee, pilot,
Sgt Guy Pegler, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Jaye, navigator,
F/Sgt James Lamb Arthur, air bomber,
P/O Leonard George Weller, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Charles Arthur Long, air gunner,
W/O Joseph Gordon Brady, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston III in Lage Donk: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 11, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

W8302

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West Raynham - West Raynham

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The twin engine aircraft left RAF West Raynham on a bombing mission to Roosendaal. While approaching the target, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak. All four crew members were able to bail out while the aircraft crashed in a field and was destroyed. Two crew were killed while two others were injured and taken PoW.
Crew:
Sgt W. E.Burns, †
Sgt W. A. Brown, †
Sgt C. A. Mcnair,
Sgt D. J. Searle.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

MSN:

4245

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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:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

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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 Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Maarheeze: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

W1042

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Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

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While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing in an open field when the aircraft stalled and crashed. Three crew members were killed while four others were injured.
Sgt A. R. Moore, †
Sgt D. L. Thurlow,
L. R. Silver,
Sgt J. A. Ogden,
Sgt H. R. Stacey,
Sgt M. F. English, †
Sgt F. Walker. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88C-6 near Gilze-Rijen AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1942 at 0140 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

R4+LR

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

0153

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The crew was returning to base at Gilze-Rijen AFB following an operation. On approach at night, the crew encountered icing conditions and was unable to lower the flaps. The airplane stalled and crashed near Alphen, few km short of runway. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Oblt A. Molenaar, pilot,
Obfw A. Scheibel, observer,
Fw J. Jost, radio operator.

Probable cause:

Icing conditions caused the flaps to be jammed.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Tilburg: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1942 at 2317 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

T2971

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East Wretham - East Wretham

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The airplane departed RAF East Wretham at 1800LT on an operation to Bremen. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Tilburg. Three crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Jindřich Svoboda, pilot, †
Sgt Zdenek Sichrovsky,
P/O Jaromir Brož, navigator, †
Sgt Rudolf Mašek, wireless operator, †
Sgt Karel Batelka,
Sgt Josef Šnajdr.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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