Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2017LT on August 24 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base the following night, it was abandoned, on fire, and crashed near Mistley, on the south bank of the Stour River. The pilot was killed and four other crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt Donald Alexander Sinclair, pilot, †
P/O Fransden,
Sgt Becker,
Sgt Young,
Sgt Gale.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Nederweert

Date & Time: Aug 25, 1941 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6505

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2017

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2059LT on August 24 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed some 5 km southeast of Nederweert. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt James Charles W. King,
Sgt Alfred Roger Lacharite,
Sgt Cecil James Powell,
F/O Eric Roy Templer,
Sgt V. Thompson.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crashf of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Wavre: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 25, 1941 at 0120 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6466

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Middleton St George - Middleton St George

MSN:

1978

YOM:

1940

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The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2009LT on August 24 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Wavre. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt William George Rogers, pilot,
Sgt Eric Charles Findon, pilot,
Sgt James Hadfield, observer,
Sgt Walter Donald Edge, wireless operator,
Sgt Benjamin Douglas, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Dent: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1941 at 0141 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

T4234

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

MSN:

1907

YOM:

1940

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The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2002LT on August 22 on an operation to Le Havre. While returning to base the following night, the airplane impacted the slope of Widdale Fell (2,031 feet) located 2 miles northeast of Dent. Both pilots were killed and three others were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Gordon Fletcher, pilot, †
P/O Kenneth William Liebeck, pilot, †
Sgt L. R. Silver,
Sgt J. M. McLaughlin,
Sgt R. N. Speer.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Topcliffe: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1941 at 1450 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6862

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

2203

YOM:

1941

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Shortly after takeoff from RAF Topcliffe, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed near the airfield. Four crew members were killed and a fifth was injured.
Crew:
Sgt Derrick John Mckenzie Bush, wireless operator, †
P/O Perry Byard Detlor, observer, †
Sgt Ian Colin Hay, pilot, †
Sgt Norman George Williams, pilot, †
Sgt C. S. Neveu.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Dorweiler

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1941 at 0330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6566

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2037

YOM:

1941

Location:

Dorweiler

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2144LT on August 18 on an operation to Cologne. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Dorweiler. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur George Lowe,
Sgt Charles Derek Roberts,
Sgt Donald Alexander Switzer,
Sgt William Birdsall James,
Sgt Harold Roy Jane.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1941 at 0315 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6731

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2119

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2129LT on August 18 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, it crashed at 0315LT on the B1116 road near Crouches Farm at Laxfield. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Richard Edward Bennett, observer,
Sgt John Leonard Gilman, pilot,
P/O Wellington James Loney, pilot,
Sgt Ernest John Lowater,
Sgt John Taylor, wireless operator.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Vliermaalroot: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1941 at 0303 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6569

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2040

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2151LT on August 18 on an operation to Cologne. Passing over Belgium, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Vliermaalroot. A crew was killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Leslie Arthur Evetts, wireless operator, †
P/O Harold Brooke Robertshaw,
Sgt Alan Gore Trites,
Sgt Reginald Arthur Charles Hooper,
Sgt J. L. Ives.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Heumen: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1941 at 0220 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6811

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2171

YOM:

1941

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2134LT on August 18 on an operation to Cologne. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Heumen, near the Maas canal. Three crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt John Alexander Barrie Jamieson, pilot, †
Sgt Howard Robert Franklin Johnston, air gunner, †
Sgt Angus Milne, †
Sgt Frank William Coles,
P/O Frederick Walter Shorrock.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1941 at 0216 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6564

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

MSN:

2035

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Region:

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The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2223LT on August 18 on an operation to Cologne. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Rekem, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O William Alan Strathern Evill, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Mervyn Tomkins, observer,
Sgt Donald Maclachlan Duffy, wireless operator,
Sgt Cyril Patrick O'Dell, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Hill Park, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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