Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in RAF Church Broughton: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1942 at 2305 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z8854
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Church Broughton - Church Broughton
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
While on a training mission, the crew was forced to return to his base due to the deterioration of the weather conditions. On approach in foggy conditions, the aircraft crashed and exploded, killing all six occupants.
Crew (27th OTU):
F/Lt František Fanta, pilot,
Sgt Josef Hrala, pilot,
P/O Karel Mucha,
P/O Václav Obšil,
Sgt Emil Tufkel,
Sgt Rudolf Jelínek.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Elburg: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1942 at 0548 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X9786
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wing - Wing
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Wing at 2353LT on September 13 on a bombing mission to Bremen, Germany. Following an uneventful mission and while overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was attacked by the pilot of a German fighter. Out of control, it dove into the ground and crashed 2 km west of Elburg. Four crew members were killed while the fifth occupant bailed out and was taken POW.
Crew (26th OTU):
P/O Robert Leo Hage, pilot, †
Sgt Kenneth David Jones, †
Sgt Alexander Knox Smith, observer, †
Sgt Donald Fisher, †
Sgt J. A. Gartlan.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in RAF Lichfield: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 13, 1942 at 2340 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7815
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lichfield - Lichfield
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Lichfield at 2331LT on a bombing mission to Düsseldorf, Germany. Nine minutes after take off, while climbing, the crew informed ground he encountered technical problems with the left engine and attempted to return. On approach, the aircraft stalled and crashed in flames few km short of runway and was destroyed on impact. All five occupants were killed.
Crew (27th OTU):
Sgt William John Percival Fletcher, pilot,
Sgt Joseph Albert Turnbull,
Sgt Frederick William Lewis, observer,
Sgt James Gordon Milne,
Sgt Fairfield Thompson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine during initial climb.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Appleby-in-Westmorland

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2715
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Finningley - Finningley
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Finningley at 2130LT on a night training exercise. En route, the pilot encountered foggy conditions and in low visibility, he decided to reduce his altitude in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground. At a height of some 2,000 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Dufton Fell located northeast of Appleby-in-Westmorland. Upon impact, the tail was sheared off and the aircraft crashed in flames a little further on. While the aircraft was destroyed, all five crew members were injured.
Crew (25th OTU):
Sgt Basil Glynn, pilot,
Sgt Robert Lyster Skillen, navigator,
Sgt Huge William Campbell, bomb aimer,
Sgt Joseph Edward Collinson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Harold Nelson, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Freetown: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HX603
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Freetown - Lagos
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed while taking off from Hastings Airport in Freetown after the undercarriage have been raised prematurely. Four crew members were killed and a fifth was seriously injured.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Warren Cullen, pilot, †
F/Sgt George Bruce Simpson, pilot, †
Sgt Geoffrey Hugh Lawrence, observer, †
Sgt John De Medici Nelson, †
Sgt F. Browning.
Probable cause:
Undercarriage prematurely raised upon takeoff.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off RNAS Dale: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 12, 1942 at 0320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HX384
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Dale - Dale
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Just after takeoff from RNAS Dale, while in initial climb at night, the airplane was caught by strong winds and crashed into the sea less than 500 metres offshore. The airplane was destroyed and all six crew members have drowned.
Crew:
Cpt Ludwik Maslanka,
Lt Tadeusz Marian Siuzdak,
Cpl Pawel Drozdziok,
Cpl Marian Jerzy Modrzewski,
Lt Michal Omieljaszko,
Cpl Stanisław Rudolph Wojtowicz.
Probable cause:
Caught by strong winds.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Lydda

Date & Time: Aug 11, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7794
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Lydda Airport, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane impacted the ground and crashed few hundred metres short of runway and crashed. All seven crew members escaped unhurt.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Loch Lee: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7845
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a training sortie out from RAF Lossiemouth. In flight, a cowling detached and hit propeller blades, causing the engine to stop. The pilot reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing when the airplane hit the slope of a hill and crashed 5 km southwest of Loch Lee. Three crew members were killed while the rear gunner was injured.
Crew (20th OTU):
F/Sgt Arthur George Wilson Keene, pilot, †
Sgt Alfred Kirby, observer, †
Sgt Joseph Weatherson, observer, †
Sgt Oscar Knud Lerche Jensen, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Loss of a cowling in flight and a subsequent engine failure.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Huldenberg: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1942 at 0317 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DV552
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lichfield - Lichfield
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lichfield at 2341LT on July 31 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Huldenberg, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O Mervyn George McNeil, pilot,
Sgt Clifford Douglas Luedeke,
Sgt Owen Morgan,
Sgt Charles Henry Robert McKee,
F/O Arthur Frederick Richard Nash,
Sgt John Daniel O'Halloran.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Loon op Zand: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1942 at 0300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DV439
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Finningley - Finningley
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Finningley at 2341LT on July 31 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Over the target area, it was damaged by the German Flak and later shot down by a German fighter. It crashed near Loon op Zand and was destroyed. An air gunner was killed and four other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Patrick Pallis Lome Elphinstone Welch, pilot,
P/O John Hamilton, observer,
Sgt Saunders Valensky, wireless operator,
Sgt Dennis James Veasey, air gunner,
F/Sgt William Francis Penney, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.