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

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939 at 1410 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2962
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Took off from RAF Mildenhall at 0927LT. Shot down from 10,000 feet by a Messerschmitt Me.110 executing a beam attack at 1410LT. This was the first Wellington to be shot down during the operation and it was seen to dive vertically into the sea following a sharp explosion forward of the astrodome. All five crewmen were killed.
Crew (149th Squadron):
F/O J. H. C. Speirs,
P/O F. N. Lines,
Sgt R. R. Hammond,
LAC J. H. Sinton,
AC2 W. J. Ellis.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Borkum Island: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2888
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While on a patrol mission, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German Messerschmitt Me.110. The bomber went out of control and crashed into the sea off Borkum Island. While the captain was seriously injured, all four other crew members were killed.
Crew (on behalf of 37th Squadron):
F/O Peter Arabin Wimberley, pilot,
Sgt Leslie Alfred Sheppard, observer, †
P/O Michael Radcliffe, navigator, †
AC1 Alexander Maxwell Hill, wireless operator and air gunner, †
LAC Alfred William Walter Lane, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2940
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 0855LT on a reconnaissance flight. Approaching the German coast, the aircraft was probably shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Wilhelmshaven. No trace of the aircraft nor the five crew members was found.
Crew (9th Squadron):
P/O Eric Francis Lines, pilot,
F/S Alfred Kitto Fearnside, copilot,
AC1 Edward Malcolm George Polhill, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Alex Morrison Dickie, air gunner,
AC2 Clifford Walker, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA on Borkum Island: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2936
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 0944LT on a reconnaissance mission off the German coast, the aircraft was attacked by the pilot of a German fighter. The pilot attempted an emergency landing on a sandy beach located on Borkum Island where the aircraft crash landed. Three crewmen were injured and two others were killed.
Crew (37th Squadron):
Sgt Herbert Ruse, pilot,
Sgt Thomas William Holley, observer, †
Sgt Tom K. May, navigator,
Cpl Frederick James Taylor, wireless operator and air gunner, †
LAC. Harry A. Jones, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2935
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While on a reconnaissance mission, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. The bomber went out of control and crashed into the sea off Schillig. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (on behalf of 37th Squadron):
F/O Arthur Telford Thompson, pilot,
Sgt Alfred John Tilley, observer,
P/O Matthew Infield Drawwater, navigator,
Cpl Wilson Robinson, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Leonard Arthur Stock, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Wilhelmshaven: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2904
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While on a reconnaissance mission, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter. The bomber went out of control and crashed into the sea off Wilhelmshaven. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (on behalf of 37th Squadron):
S/L Ian Victor Hue-Williams, pilot,
F/Lt Thomas Gaufrey Wearmouth Appleby, copilot,
F/O Arthur Richard Vaughan Williams, navigator,
Sgt Alister Raymond Norris, observer,
LAC John Arundel Barstow, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Ernest Lowe, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Borkum Island: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2889
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While on a patrol mission, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German Messerschmitt Me.110. The bomber went out of control and crashed into the sea off Borkum Island. One crew was injured and rescued while all four other crew members were killed.
Crew (on behalf of 37th Squadron):
F/O Oliver John Trevor Lewis, pilot, †
Sgt Maurice William Barrington-Taylor, navigator, †
P/O Roderick Menzie Ross, navigator, †
AC1 Peter Thomas Jones, wireless operator and air gunner, †
AC1 George Warne Geddes, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Wilhelmshaven: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2941
Flight Phase:
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:
While performing a reconnaissance flight off the German coast, the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire, went out of control and crashed into the sea off Wilhelmshaven with its port engine on fire. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (9th Squadron):
F/O Douglas Bellamy Allison, pilot,
F/O Donald Charles Ephraim Bailey, copilot,
Sgt John Archibald Brister, observer,
Sgt Joseph Buglasi Adamson Turnbull, bombardier,
Cpl Reginald Thomas Black, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Albert George Goodenough, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Wilhelmshaven: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2939
Flight Phase:
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 0855LT on a reconnaissance mission over Germany. While approaching Wilhelmshaven harbor, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German Messerschmitt Me.110 fighter and crashed into the sea. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (9th Squadron):
F/O John Thomas Irvine Challes, pilot,
P/O Alistair Hugh Richmond Bourne, copilot,
Sgt Frank Michael Mason, observer,
Sgt Thomas Henry English, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Gurth Ernest Cox, air gunner,
AC1 Alexander Telfer, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Wilhelmshaven: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N2872
Flight Phase:
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 0900LT on a reconnaissance mission over Germany. While approaching Wilhelmshaven harbor, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed into the sea. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (9th Squadron):
S/L Archibald John Guthrie, pilot,
F/O John Edgar Atkinson, copilot,
Sgt Harold Walter Tyrrell, observer,
LAC Thomas Leo Marlin, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Bertie Joseph Pickess, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Josias Melville Fletcher Key, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.