Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Texel Island

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1941 at 0320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE193
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Texel Island
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2330LT on August 28 on an operation to Duisburg. While returning to base the following night, it suffered an engine failure and ditched into the sea off Texel Island. All four crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt George Luke,
Sgt Eric Robert Holmes Lyon,
Sgt Geoffrey Bryon Stanton,
Sgt Richard John Kenneth Woodroofe.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into the Limfjord: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1941 at 0330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE301
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Limfjord
Midtjylland
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2200LT on August 26 to lay mines in the Western Baltic Sea. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by enemy fire while passing over Aalborg and crashed into the Limfjord. Three crew members were killed and a fourth became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Michael James Carr Harwood, pilot, †
F/Sgt Noel Lusher, observer, †
F/Sgt William Alexander Oastler, wireless operator, †
Sgt Norman Thomas Powell.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE302
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
North Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2245LT on an operation to Cologne. It was lost without trace and probably crashed somewhere in the North Sea.
Crew:
Sgt Alan Peter James Grundy,
Sgt Alan Mitchell,
Sgt Kenneth Frederick Runcorn,
Sgt Hugh Vernon Wilkinson.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Plankstadt: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE220
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Plankstadt
Baden-Württemberg
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2140LT on an operation to Mannheim. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Planstadt, southwest of Heidelberg. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Allan Frederick McGruer, pilot,
P/O James Paul Erly, observer,
Sgt James Walter Goddard, wireless operator,
Sgt Anthony Leonard Powell Rawlinson, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near RAF Coningsby

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1941 at 2315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD919
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Coningsby AFB
Lincolnshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2310LT on an operation to Cologne. Five minutes later, it suffered an engine failure and crashed in Chapel Hill, near the airbase. All four crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt J. J. Field,
P/O G. L. Finlayson,
Sgt F. Norman,
Sgt N. D. Wright.
Probable cause:
Engine failure after takeoff.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Gembloux: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1941 at 0244 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AD756
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Gembloux
Namur
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2205LT on August 16 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Passing over Belgium, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Gembloux. Three crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Leonard Acres, observer, †
P/O James Grant, †
P/O Gordon Geoffrey Watts, pilot, †
Sgt John Henry Cook,
Sgt Gordon Vivian Lynn.

Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Kinrooi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1941 at 0152 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7384
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Kinrooi
Limburg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2250LT on August 16 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While passing the border between the Netherlands and Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter. The captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in a field. Five crew members became PoW, another was killed and the seventh was seriously injured. He died few days later from injuries sustained.
Crew (97th Squadron):
Sgt Hugh Currie, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Peter Williams, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Geoffrey Ashmore,
F/Lt John Leslie Nunn,
Sgt Philip Wesley Ratcliff,
Sgt Albert George Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Meijel

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1941 at 0141 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE134
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Meijel
Limburg
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2220LT on August 16 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Meijel. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Harold Birtwhistle,
Sgt Jack Harker,
Sgt Robert George Woodwards,
P/O Terence Myles Robinson.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Münster

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1941 at 0228 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7424
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Münster
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2102LT on August 12 on an operation to Berlin. Over Münster, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Münster. All seven crew members bailed out and became PoW.
Crew (97th Squadron):
F/O Michael Gerald Geoghegan,
F/Sgt Ronald George William Hodkinson,
Sgt Richard William Jones,
F/O James Alexander Little,
Sgt Lloyd George Robinson,
Sgt Graham Leslie Scott,
Sgt Gordon Reginald Tiley.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Terschelling: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 8, 1941 at 0559 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE303
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Location:
Terschelling
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby in the evening of August 7 on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea north of Terschelling. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Brian Bernard Hunder Rodwell, pilot,
Sgt Gerald Percy Imison, navigator,
F/Sgt Maurice Charles Harvey, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Robert Ronald Bell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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