Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA near Braemar: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1940 at 2100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7775
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Lossiemouth on a navigation exercise, passing over Brechin, Kinnaird Head, Inverness then back to Lossiemouth. While cruising in limited visibility due to the night and thick clouds, the captain failed to realize his altitude was insufficient. The bomber impacted the slope of a mountain located in Bruach Mohr, some 5 miles northwest of Braemar. Two crew members were killed and five other occupants were injured.
Crew (20th OTU):
P/O Herbert Martin Coombs, pilot, †
P/O Douglas Veale Gilmour, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Winchcombe Bordycott, navigator,
Sgt Frank Hutson, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Alfred Wilson Milroy,
Sgt George Ronald Lyon,
Sgt John Adam Sparks, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA in Needham Market: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1940 at 1120 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7786
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF East Wretham on a routine training exercice. While cruising at a too low altitude, the aircraft hit power cables and crashed in a farmland located in Needham Market. Both pilots were killed.
Crew (311th Squadron):
Sgt Karel Lang, pilot,
Sgt Oldrich Tosovsky, pilot.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA at RAF Honington

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2942
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight at RAF Honington. For unknown reasons, the airplane landed at high speed, overshot and crashed into a pile of bricks. All crew members evacuated safely.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA at RAF Harwell

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7773
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Harwell - Harwell
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from RAF Harwell, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed 4 km from the airbase. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA at RAF Hampstead Norris

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L4281
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hampstead Norris - Hampstead Norris
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a local training flight at RAF Hampstead Norris. For unknown reason, the aircraft landed long. After touchdown, it was unable to stop within the remaining distance available, overshot and came to rest, bursting into flames. All four crew members evacuated safely and the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Wassenaar: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2992
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Feltwell at 2050LT on September 1st on a bombing mission over Hanover. While returning to its base, the bomber went out of control and crashed into the North Sea off Wassenaar. Five crew members were killed while the captain was rescued by the crew of the HMS Niger two days later.
Crew (37th Squadron):
P/O M. S. Burberry,
P/O George Hauteville Jackson, †
P/O Henri Philippe, †
Sgt Cyril John Cooper, †
Sgt Thomas Chamberlain Molineux Browne, †
Sgt Peter William Barber. †
Probable cause:
In his report, the captain indicated that he may have fallen asleep, but his Station Commander thought an incorrect altimeter setting was the more likely cause of the tragedy.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA at RAF Stradishall

Date & Time: Aug 31, 1940 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P2530
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall on the evening of August 30 on a bombing mission over Berlin. The following morning, while returning to base, low on fuel, it undershot the runway, ran into a ditch, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. All crew members evacuated safely.
Crew:
F/O R. R. O'Connor +4.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA near RAF Honington: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1940 at 0010 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P9205
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Honington on a local night training flight. While flying in the vicinity of the airbase, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in a field located in Troston, about three km southwest of the airfield, bursting into flames. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Denis Bennett, pilot,
P/O Peter Roderick Bawtree Wanklyn, pilot.

Crash of Vickers 408 Wellington IA

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P9227
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham on a bombing mission over Bremen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in a field in Klein-Henstedt. All five crew members bailed out and became PoW.
Crew:
P/O William Henry Clement Hunkin, pilot,
P/O Joseph Barker, pilot,
Sgt G. Clark, observer,
Sgt H. Dickson, air gunner,
Sgt James John MacGregor, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Alfred George Stanley Colley, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 19, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2897
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2150LT on June 18 on a bombing mission over Leverkusen. While cruising at night, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea. No trace was ever found.
Crew:
P/O Francis Charles Joseph Butler,
Sgt Raymond Graham Elliott,
Sgt Alan Thomas Legg,
Sgt Kevin Barry Brennan,
Sgt Charles Naylor,
Sgt Ian Maywood McCulloch.