Croft AFB

Shortly after takeoff from Croft AFB, in initial climb, the aircraft collided with a flock of birds that hit the windshield. Both pilots were injured and attempted to make an emergency landing. They reduced their altitude and landed in an open field. Aircraft skidded few hundred yards before coming to rest. All crew were rescued and evacuated while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. Crew was from 434th Squadron.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 0034LT on an operation to Duisburg. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Oosterhout, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Sgt Earl Lloyd Newburg, pilot,
F/Sgt Francis John Duffy, navigator,
Sgt Roy Mucklow, bomb aimer,
Sgt Orval Kenneth Glascock, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth Bryan Cooke, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft 2115LT on April 16 on an operation to Mannheim. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Kirf, 25 km southwest of Trier. The pilot was killed and four other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Steve Tomyn, pilot,
Sgt Geoffrey William Hall,
Sgt Anthony Frederick Johnson,
Sgt Albert Thomas Symons,
Sgt William Ostaficiuk, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 2114LT on an operation to Mannheim. For unknown reasons, the crew was forced to return earlier and diverted to RAF Twinwood Farm where the airplane crashed upon landing and was wrecked. All five crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt B. K. Chambers, pilot,
F/Sgt R. Moore,
F/Sgt B. L. Owen,
Sgt L. H. McCormick,
Sgt B. H. Garoutte, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft for a Bullseye exercise but swung out of control and crashed into an orchard. The Wellington caught fire and soon afterwards exploded. Two crew members were killed and three others were seriously injured.
Crew:
Sgt Albert Charles Ash, pilot,
Sgt James Keith Dodds, wireless operator +3.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1950LT on March 29 on an operation to Bochum. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt Donald Franklin McFadden, pilot,
F/Sgt William McManus Bisset,
Sgt Charles Arthur Boyd,
Sgt Arthur Reginald Dove,
F/O Lawrence Thomas Edwin Sweet, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1553LT on a training exercise. It crashed almost immediately after takeoff due to a sudden loss of engine power. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
Sgt W. H. Schmitt, pilot +4.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1802LT to lay mines in the Nectarines area. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the North Sea, maybe off the Frisian Islands. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt L. McC. Lymburner, pilot,
Sgt H. R. Millson,
Sgt H. S. McPherson,
Sgt R. Clark,
Sgt William Bruce Drake,
Sgt T. A. Dutton, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1810LT on February 28 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While returning to base the following night, it strayed west of track and following several radio transmissions, the crew abandoned the airplane that crashed in a ploughed field near Ballybane. All six crew members parachuted to safety and were interned.
Crew:
Sgt L. G. Southwood, pilot,
Sgt M. B. Summers,
F/Sgt J. C. Grover,
F/Sgt A. W. Puffer,
Sgt J. H. Blue,
Sgt W. W. N. Chalk, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1810LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea off Belle-Île-en-Mer. Five crew members were killed while the radio operator survived and became a PoW.
Crew:
W/O William Douglas Hartney, pilot, †
F/Sgt James Augustus Kilpatrick, observer, †
Sgt Reginald William Radford, bomb aimer, †
Sgt Edward Allison, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Langmeael Ward, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Donald Alexander Ferguson, air gunner. †