Vickers 406 Wellington II

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

W5452

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Stradishall - Stradishall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 1924LT on September 20 on an operation to Berlin. For unknown reasons, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing at Manston Airport where it crashed on approach after it collided with trees. Five crew members were killed and a sixth was injured.
Crew:
P/O Cyril William Abrey, pilot, †
Sgt Laurence Douglas Kissack, pilot, †
P/O John Benjamin Ruston, observer, †
Sgt John Aitken, wireless operator, †
Sgt Ivan John Green, wireless operator, †
P/O L. W. White.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II off Orford: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1941 at 0325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5384

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2258LT on September 19 on an operation to Stettin. While returning to base the following night with the port engine out, it was ditched into the sea some 8 miles east of Orford Ness. Five crew members were killed and a sixth was rescued.
Crew:
P/O Ian Campbell Burke, †
Sgt Alexander Carstairs, †
Sgt John Graham Jones, wireless operator, †
Sgt Trevor Gordon Lister, †
Sgt David John Mackintosh, †
Sgt T. W. Rayment.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Szczecin

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1941

Type of aircraft:

West Pomeranian Voivodeship (Zachodniopomorskie)

Operator:

Registration:

Z8344

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

Location:

Szczecin

Country:

Poland

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2222LT on September 19 on an operation to Stettin. It is believed that it crashed while approaching the target area. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew:
W/O Douglas Jobson Clayden,
Sgt Thomas Foreman Dougall,
Sgt Charles Wilbert Forman,
W/O John Lord,
Sgt J. Emsley,
P/O William Barnes Towler.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II near RAF Pocklington: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5492

Flight Phase:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Pocklington on a local test flight. While cruising at an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent, suffered a structural failure and crashed two miles north-northeast of the airbase. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Norman Watson Thompson, pilot,
Sgt Ronald George Chandos, pilot,
Sgt Frederick Peter Turton, observer,
Sgt Charles Harold Fletcher, wireless operator,
Sgt Walter Irvine Strother, wireless operator,
Sgt James Matthew Maxon, air gunner,
Sgt Gabriel Phillips,
AC1 Harry Armitage.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by the dinghy breaking loose from its stowage and fouling the elevators, which in turn sent the Wellington into a steep dive and structural failure occurred.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Le Havre: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5526

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Lindholme - Lindholme

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Lindholme at 1927LT on an operation to Le Havre. Approaching the target area, it crashed in unknown circumstances, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
W/Cdr James Kenneth Montague Drysdale, pilot,
F/Lt Walter Ronald Gardiner, pilot,
F/Sgt William Charles Wheatley, observer,
F/Sgt John Desmond Truscott, wireless operator,
F/Lt William Charles Ward, air gunner,
F/Lt Ithel David Jeremy, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Middleton-on-the-Wolds

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1941 at 1700 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5441

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Middleton-on-the-Wolds

East Yorkshire

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

While on a training flight, the airplane crash landed at Middleton-on-the-Wolds. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
P/O F. N. Pope +5.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II off Quiberville: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5596

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Hampstead Norris - Luqa

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hampstead Norris on a liaison flight to Luqa, Malta, on behalf of the Overseas Aircraft Delivery Unit. Passing over The Channel and while approaching the French coast, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Quiberville. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt John George Bell,
Sgt Brian Hilton Dennis,
Sgt Denis James Farrell, observer,
Sgt Jack Gill,
Sgt Eric Healy,
Sgt Eric Ditchfield Minshall.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II into the North Sea

Date & Time: Sep 10, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5576

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Stradishall - Stradishall

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 2130LT on an operation to Torino. In the late evening, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in the North Sea off the Danish coast. All six crew members were found in their dinghy and became PoW.
Crew:
S/L David Malcolm Strong, pilot,
P/O Harold Thomas Beare,
Sgt Jack Alan Chubb,
Sgt Norman Sidney Fisher,
Sgt Richard Ritson,
Sgt Gordon Thomson Woodroofe.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II near Dordrecht

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1941 at 0500 LT

Type of aircraft: