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

Date & Time: May 19, 1940 at 2325 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1376
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
MSN:
1540
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Driffield at 2010LT to attack a synthetic oil plant located in the region of Gelsenkirchen. While approaching the target, the bomber was hit by the German Flak. All five occupants abandoned the aircraft and bailed out. Out of control, the aircraft crashed in a field near Goch and was destroyed. All five occupants became PoW.
Crew (102nd Squadron):
F/S E. L. G. Hall,
P/O J. T. Glover,
Sgt D. L. Dick,
LAC J. McCutcheon,
AC2 A. Murray.
Probable cause:
Shot down by German Flak.

Crash of a Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Kolenfeld

Date & Time: May 19, 1940 at 0155 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1408
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
MSN:
1562
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dishforth to bomb an oil refinery in Hanover. It was shot down by Flak and crashed in Kolenfeld, south of Wunstorf. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
S/L W. H. N. Turner,
F/O A. C. Peach,
Sgt D. J. R. Wilson,
Sgt D. S. Edmondson,
AC2 G. .B Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by Flak.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the North Sea

Date & Time: May 19, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
N1388
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Driffield at 2005LT on a bombing mission over Hanover. At 2135LT, while flying at 9,000 feet some 60 miles off the Dutch coast, the Whitley was attacked by the pilot of a Me.110 and badly damaged. In turn, the enemy aircraft was claimed destroyed by AC1 Parkes. Despite a painful foot wound, F/L Raphael ditched the bomber and the crew clambered into the dinghy. Their plight was seen by F/L Crockett, who happened to be in the area at the time, and he was able to direct a Royal Navy destroyer to the scene. After four hours afloat, the crew were rescued and take into Yarmouth.
Crew (77th Squadron):
F/L G. L. Raphael,
P/O R. P. Payne,
Sgt Prescott,
LAC Storey,
AC1 Parkes.
Source: W. R. Chorley.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Mönchengladbach: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
N1366
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
MSN:
1530
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Driffield at 2025LT on a bombing mission over Mönchengladbach. While approaching the target, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances. A crewman survived and became PoW while all four other occupants were killed.
Crew (77th Squadron):
F/O Thomas Hayward Parrott, pilot,
F/O D. Blew, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Todd Atchison, observer,
LAC Terence Poad, wireless operator,
AC2 Tudno Jones, wireless operator and air gunner.

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

Date & Time: May 3, 1940 at 0505 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1406
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
MSN:
1560
YOM:
1939
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Dishforth at 1835LT on May 2 to bomb Oslo-Fornebu Airport. On the return flight, while cruising at night and in poor weather conditions, the crew became lost and was unable to locate an alternate airfield so the captain ordered the crew to bail out. Without pilot, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a field. The bomber was destroyed while two crewmen were injured, three others unhurt. A day later, one of the survivor died from injuries sustained.
Crew (51st Squadron):
S/L Gerald Price Marvin, pilot,
P/O Albert John Oettle, pilot,
Sgt Guy Maxwell Brisbane, observer,
LAC Ernest Fisher, wireless operator and air gunner,
AC1 Angus Hepburn, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V on Mt Foudland: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1940 at 1059 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1500
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Kinloss – Driffield
MSN:
1640
YOM:
1939
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Kinloss on a flight from RAF Kinloss to RAF Driffield. While cruising some 6 miles southeast of Huntly, the aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Foudland. Three crewmen were killed and five others were injured. Two survivors died from injuries sustained, one on May 6, the second on May 25, 1940.
Crew (102nd Squadron):
F/O Kenneth Neil Gray, pilot, †
Sgt John Hamilton Hopper, pilot, †
Sgt Frederick John Bass, observer, †
AC1 Alfred William Henry Hart, wireless operator, †
AC1 Harold Buttery, †
AC1 J. A. Hewitt,
AC2 George Main,
AC1 Fred Wallwork.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

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

Date & Time: May 1, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
K9039
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
MSN:
1492
YOM:
1939
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Dishforth at 1900LT on April 30 to bomb Oslo-Fornebu Airport. On the return flight, while flying over England at night, the aircraft was short of fuel and the captain attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft impacted a hill between Burn Fell and Dunsop Fell and was wrecked. All five crew members were injured but Sergeant Coveney died two days later from injuries sustained.
Crew (51st Squadron):
P/O Edward Cotton, pilot,
P/O John Martin Gilmer, pilot,
Sgt Walter Richard Coveney, observer, †
AC1 Peter Duncan Salmon, wireless operator,
AC1 Hugh Maylin, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1940 at 2355 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1465
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
MSN:
1605
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 2045LT to bomb Stavanger. While overflying the North Sea at night, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances. No trace was ever found.
Crew (58th Squadron):
Sgt Cecil Robert Heayes,
Sgt Leonard Frank Tomlinson,
Sgt Harvey Alderson Peel,
Cpl Patrick Harold Devereux Ditmas,
AC1 David Robertson.

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

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1940 at 0105 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1421
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Kinloss - Kinloss
MSN:
1575
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Kinloss at 2000LT on 29APR with Oslo-Fornebu Airport as its target. While approaching Oslo by night, the aircraft was shot down by Flak. Four crew members abandoned the aircraft and bailed out. They were later recovered and taken PoW. The aircraft then crashed in flames in a wooded area located on the top of a mountain near Sylling, some 27 km west of Oslo, killing the fifth crew member.
Crew (102nd Squadron):
F/O K. H. P. Murphy,
Sgt J. F. Graham,
Sgt C. Warner,
Cpl D. Magee,
LAC John Ellwood. †

Thanks to Bent Julenissen Lønrusten for his following testimony:
My great aunt watched the burning plane go down. I have been to the crashe site several times and based on the pieces of fuselage left is was damaged hard by flak. Pictures taken of the wreck on the crashe site the day after the crash show a plane damaged by flak. Based on the reports the DY-C was hit by flak during the bombing of Fornebu. The flak was hard. Four crew members jumped from the wounded plane. Two over Asker and two over Sylling. Murphy and Graham came to a farm and told the story of the crash, they where later taken prisoner and sent to Germany. I talked to one of the farm members and based on the story told by FO Murphy, John Ellwood was killed by flak over Oslo, the plane was burning and over Sylling the engines stopped. A big explosion was heard just before the plane came down from NW and crashed onto the ridge named Brennenga. Witnesses told that it crashed at 0105LT. The wristwatch of LAC Ellwod had stopped at this time. Based on his wounds he was killed instantly, and blood in the front of the plane showed that he was not in his rear turret, but most likely helping out the stop the fire. John Ellwood was found outside the plane. And uncle of mine spoke to FO Murphy on his visit to Ellwoods grave in 1949. Murphy said the same. Flak damage and fire forced the plane to crash.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Store Vildmose: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1940 at 0244 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1383
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kinloss - Kinloss
MSN:
1547
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Kinloss at 2248LT on April 25 to bomb the Airport of Aalborg. While approaching the target at night, the aircraft was shot down by Flak. A crew member was able to bail out before the aircraft crashed in a field located 10 km north of Aalborg Airport, bursting into flames. All four other occupants were killed.
Crew (102nd Squadron):
F/O Owen Gerard Horrigan, pilot, †
Sgt V. H. Barr,
Sgt Norman Haithwaite, †
Sgt J. F. Hayes, †
AC2 Cyril Cecil Whitley. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by Flak.