Zone

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Harwich: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1942 at 1905 LT
Operator:
Registration:
Z9305
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Croft
MSN:
2369
YOM:
1941
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1720LT on an operation to Rotterdam. It was shot down by AA fire from trawlers and crashed into the sea off Harwich. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Douglas Reid Campbell,
Sgt Denis Curnick,
Sgt Ronald Welburn Dobson, wireless operator,
Sgt Alan Neal Williams,
P/O David Llewelyn Williams.
Probable cause:
Shot down by AA fire from trawlers.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Harwich: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R1030
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Alconbury - Alconbury
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 2010LT on September 2 on an operation to Ostend. While returning to base the following night, it crashed for unknown reasons into the sea some 10 miles off the port of Harwich. Two crew members were killed and four others were rescued.
Crew:
P/O Arthr Robert Fitch, pilot, †
Sgt Thomas Robertson, wireless operator, †
Sgt T. Stabler,
Sgt A. C. S. Delgado,
Sgt W. V. Parslow,
P/O A. Kinniburgh.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Harwich: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
AD726
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 2040LT on August 31 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, it crashed for unknown reasons into the sea some 25 miles east of Harwich. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Stafford Arthur Harvey,
Sgt Richard Kellett Hayes,
F/Sgt John Ernest Phillips,
Sgt Harold Alvan Taylor.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Harwich: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1941 at 0120 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2997
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Waterbeach - Waterbeach
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waterbeach at 2047LT on April 20 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night and approaching the British coast, it collided with a barrage balloon cable and crashed into the sea of Harwich, some 3,000 yards offshore. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Wilfrid Edgar Bowden,
P/O Frank Henry Cook,
Sgt Brinley Morgan Evans,
P/O Rex Mulligan Morrow, observer,
Sgt Maurice Alfred John Savage,
Sgt Frederick George Hindrup, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Collision with a barrage balloon cable.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Harwich: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 11, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2280
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bodney - Bodney
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bodney at 0153LT on an operation to Hamm. It ditched in the sea some 10 miles east of Harwich. Two crew survived and were rescued by the crew of a British destroyed while a third crew was killed.
Crew:
P/O Metcalfe,
Sgt Martin,
Sgt Sydney Richard Merrett. †

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

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1940 at 0545 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1459
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
MSN:
1599
YOM:
1939
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 1950LT on September 2 on a raid over Genova. The following morning, while returning to its base, it ran out of fuel and was ditched into the North Sea some 15 miles off Harwich, Essex. The crew took to their dinghy and while drifting off Aldeburgh, Suffolk, were rescued by HMS Pintail.
Crew:
P/O P. C. Elliott,
F/Sgt D. Moore,
Sgt M. R. Harvey,
Sgt J. F. Craig,
Sgt R. E. Connor.
Probable cause:
Aircraft ditched into the sea due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Harwich: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 18, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N3541
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Bircham Newton - Bircham Newton
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bircham Newton for convoy escort duties. While cruising along the shore in poor weather conditions, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Harwich. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Robert Lawson Patterson,
Sgt Lawrence Hugh Murrell Reece,
Sgt Ronald Yeaman Tucker.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Harwich: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
P1340
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington on a bombing mission over Emmerich. While returning to its base at night, the airplane collided with a barrage balloon cable and crashed into the River Orwell of Harwich. A crew survived while three others were killed.
Crew:
Sgt E. J. Spencer,
Sgt Samuel Patrick Connell, †
Sgt Albert Gross Kendrew, †
P/O Reginald William Roots. †
Probable cause:
In-flight collision with a barrage balloon cable.