Croft AFB | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1553LT on an operation to Brest. While returning to base in the evening, the crew were unable to obtain any response to their w/t calls asking for a bearing. Subsequently, the pilot broke through the cloud in order to establish his position and in doing so he crashed at 2130LT into high ground at Simon's Seat. All six crew members were rescued.
Crew:
Sgt D. R. Cox,
P/O J. F. Beadle,
P/O R. Franklin,
Sgt R. H. Gale,
Sgt R. Kendall,
Sgt White.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Harwood

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941 at 1630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z9308

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2372

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1607LT on an operation to Brest. Less than half an hour later, it suffered a loss of power on the right engine and crash landed near Harwood, northwest of Barnard-Castle. All five crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt J. A. Attwell,
Sgt Martin,
Sgt Howitson,
Sgt Turpin,
Sgt Johnston.

Probable cause:

Loss of power on the right engine in flight.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Spithead

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941 at 1850 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z9129

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2268

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1643LT on an operation to Le Havre. While flying at an altitude of 6,500 feet, the starboard engine caught fire. Prompt action by the crew quelled the fire, but the Whitley lost height and crashed off Spithead. All five crew members were rescued.
Crew:
P/O H. G. Bedford,
Sgt Howell,
P/O Ponds,
Sgt Oliver,
Sgt Parks.

Probable cause:

The starboard engine caught fire in flight.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Oudemirdum: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1941 at 0630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6948

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2240

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Croft at 2231LT on November 7 on an operation to Berlin. While returning to base the following morning and passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near the village of Oudemirdum. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt John William Bell, pilot,
P/O George Marshall McCombe, pilot,
Sgt Gilbert Terence Webb, observer,
Sgt Raymond Boucher, wireless operator,
Sgt Donald Cameron, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Rhinow: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1941 at 0455 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z9151

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Croft - Croft

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The airplane departed RAF Croft at 2227LT on November 7 on an operation to Berlin. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Rhinow. The pilot was killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Ernest Johnston Sargent, pilot, †
Sgt Ernest Gerald Sydney Hall Freeman,
Sgt Thomas Hall,
Sgt Thomas Paterson,
Sgt Ernest Wilfred Penn,
P/O John Victor Saunders.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1941 at 0116 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z9152

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2286

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1732LT on November 1st on an operation to Kiel. The following night, it was last heard while in contact with RAF Bircham Newton but failed to return to base. It was lost without trace and it is believed that it crashed somewhere in the North Sea.
Crew:
S/L James Mercer, pilot,
F/Lt James Reith Campbell,
Sgt Rennie Frank Duggan,
Sgt Thomas Peter Woodhouse,
F/Sgt Victor George Wright.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Croft

Date & Time: Oct 16, 1941 at 2010 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6646

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2080

YOM:

1941

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Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training exercise at RAF Croft. While in the circuit, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crashed. All four crew members were injured.
Crew:
P/O B. O. Smith,
Sgt R. E. Whitehorn,
Sgt G. O. Dufort,
Sgt I. L. Kidd.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.