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Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Great Wratting: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1941 at 0320 LT
Operator:
Registration:
P1253
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hemswell - Hemswell
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2004LT on March 1st on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, it ran out of fuel. The pilot elected to divert to RAF Stradishall when the airplane crashed in a pasture in Great Wratting. A crew was killed and three others were injured, one seriously. Sgt Healing later died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
Sgt Roderick MacKinnon, observer, †
Sgt Frank Douglas Healing, wireless operator, †
Sgt R. Fletcher,
P/O J. T. Noble.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Great Wratting: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1941 at 1240 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2956
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Stradishall on a local test flight. En route, he encountered poor weather conditions and while flying in clouds, the airplane iced up and crashed near Great Wratting. All six crew members were killed.
crew:
P/O Tom Eric Timmins, pilot,
P/O Charles Norman Walker, pilot,
Sgt Peter Robert Peart, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Cain, wireless operator,
Sgt William Edward Griswold, wireless operator,
Sgt Archibald Sinclair Roberts, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Icing.