Crash of a Consolidated PBY Catalina off Gibraltar

Date & Time: Jul 23, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AH538
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Gibraltar, the floatplane was mistakenly shot down by friendly fire and crashed into the sea. All eight crew members were rescued, among them one was injured.
Crew:
Sgt J. B. Seymour,
F/Lt R. W. Whittome,
P/O R. G. Scott,
Sgt E. W. Mills,
Sgt E. Wharton,
Sgt J. Turnbull,
Cpl R. H. Baird,
Sgt J. F. Paterson.
Probable cause:
Mistakenly shot down by friendly fire.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I off Gibraltar

Date & Time: Jul 6, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L5837
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
SH.30
YOM:
1939
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Gibraltar, the airplane suffered an engine failure. The crew ditched the airplane some 30 km off Gibraltar. All four crew members were rescued and the airplane sank and was lost.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Short S.26 G-Class off Cape Finisterre: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X8274
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Mount Batten – Gibraltar
MSN:
S.872
YOM:
1937
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The seaplane was on its way from RAF Mount Batten, Devonshire, to Gibraltar. Three hours into the flight, the crew decided to return following an engine failure. But shortly later, a second engine failed, forcing the crew to divert to Lisbon. The captain eventually attempted to make an emergency landing off Cape Finisterre. Upon landing, the hull caved and the aircraft quickly sank. Eight crew members drowned while four others took place in a dinghy. They were recovered three days and a half later by the crew of a German submarine and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt William Frederick Aalexander, †
P/O James Barry, †
F/Lt George Henry Bowes, †
LAC William Thomas Roy Crago, †
F/Sgt Claud Ernest Fowler, †
Sgt Henry Richard Mason, †
F/Sgt David Francis Meyrick, †
Sgt Albert Henry Sillifant Waller, †
Cpl James Anderson,
Cpl Leonard George Corcoran,
Sgt Julian Eustace Hill,
S/L Samuel Godfrey Long.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-1 Catalina off Gibraltar: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W8407
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Gibraltar while on a maritime patrol flight. Two crew members were killed and five others were rescued.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Hogarth Adamson, †
F/Lt Greville Vincent Nicholls, †
Sgt A. L. Mahon,
Sgt M. Joy,
Sgt D. H. Button,
LAC N. L. Holmes,
LAC R. C. Griffiths.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-1 Catalina in the Atlantic Ocean: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AH537
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mount Batten - Gibraltar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The Catalina departed RAF Mount Batten on a maritime patrol flight to Gibraltar. It failed to arrive at destination and was lost without trace, maybe it crashed somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Frederick Arthur Burrows,
F/Lt Noel Kenneth Burton-Chadwick,
LAC John Charles Croome,
LAC John Kenneth Dains,
LAC William Henry Gill,
Cpl Harold Randolph Pye,
F/Lt Alfred William Knox Watson,
P/O Frank Bernard Yard.

Crash of a Saro A.27 London II off Casablanca: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K9682
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Gibraltar - Gibraltar
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Gibraltar on a reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrol mission. While flying along the Moroccan coast, it was shot down by the pilot of a Vichy French Curtiss H-75 and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 60 km off Casablanca. Both pilots were killed and three other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Edwin Charles Minchinton, pilot, †
F/L Bruce McCallum, pilot, †
LAC Richard Marshall-Hardy, wireless operator, +2.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Vichy French fighter.

Crash of a Martin 167 Maryland off Gibraltar: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1940 at 1700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
4
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Casablanca - Gibraltar
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Casablanca on a flight to Gibraltar, carrying four crew members. After it landed in El Polo Airfield in Campamento, on the Spanish territory, the crew realized he was not in Gibraltar, took off and headed south. On approach to Gibraltar, the aircraft was shot down by ground fire and crashed into the sea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Jacques Le Forestier de Vendeuvre,
Lt Jean-Pierre Berger,
Lt Bertrand Jochaud du Plessis,
Lt Robert Weill.

Crash of a Potez 540 in Fez: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Fez - Gibraltar
Country:
Region:
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Following a night takeoff from Fez Airport, while climbing, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed, bursting into flames. All eight occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the airplane was en route to England via Gibraltar.
Crew:
Sgt Louis Le Digabel, pilot,
AC2 Robert Séraphin Raybaudi, pilot,
AC2 Marcel François Jeunehomme, pilot,
Cpl Emile Arthur Renaud, pilot,
Cpl/C Jean Joseph Frenzer, pilot,
AC2 Jean Baptiste Adolphe Diacono, pilot,
AC2 Jean-Marcel Foisset, pilot,
Cpl/C Paul Marius Eugène Sentenac, air gunner.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the aircraft was shot down by the French Flak or was deliberately sabotaged to avoid any defection from French troops.

Crash of a Dornier Do J Wal off Gibraltar: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 25, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The float plane was engaged in a maritime patrol flight over the Alboran Sea when it was shot down by the pilot of a Spanish National Nieuport 52 and crashed into the sea off Gibraltar. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a Fairey IIIF off Gibraltar: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
S1404
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
After being catapulted from the 'HMS Furious', the single engine airplane crashed into the sea off Gibraltar. A crew member was killed and two others were rescued.