Harlingen | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew left RAF Harwell in the day on a bombing mission to Bremen, Germany, with 1,066 other aircraft. Following an uneventful mission, the aircraft was returning to UK and was overflying The Netherlands when it was shot down by the German Flak. It went out off control and crashed into the Wadden Lake, off Harlingen. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (15th OTU):
Sgt James Stewart Leather, pilot,
Sgt Harry Bloor, pilot,
Sgt John McKelvie Dunn Oliver, observer,
Sgt Ronald Thomas Fage, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt David Thompson Stanners, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Gordon Lake, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Harlingen: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1941 at 0500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AD911

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2305LT on October 10 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following morning, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the Waddenzee of Harlingen. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Douglas Charlton Hedley, pilot,
Sgt George Mitchell, observer,
Sgt William Albert Brooks, wireless operator, †
Sgt Edward Wilfred Ernest Gough, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.