Hemswell AFB | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell in the evening of July 3 on an operation to Bremen. The following morning, while returning to base and cruising along the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed into the sea off Ameland Island. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Walter Cross,
Sgt Edward Ryder Foster,
F/Sgt Gordon Cedric Marsh,
Sgt Douglas Macdonald Napier.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Dieksanderkoog: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7304

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2301LT on June 26 on an operation to Kiel. Approaching the German coast, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Dieksanderkoog. All six crew members were killed.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/O Kenneth Gordon Webb, pilot,
P/O Laurence Trevor Glover, pilot,
F/S Frank Woodruff, observer,
F/S John Woodward, wireless operator,
Sgt Francis Sydney Haslemore, air gunner,
P/O Cyril McCulloch Bateman, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I at RAF Hemswell

Date & Time: Jun 18, 1941 at 0430 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AD926

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell on the evening of June 17 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, it overshot and crashed juts beyond the perimeter fence. All four crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt Ceasar-Gordon,
P/O Pringle,
Sgt Horton,
Sgt E. W. Thompson.

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

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AD727

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell on a mine laying operation off Kiel. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Peter Harold Howard Pritchard, pilot,
Sgt John Bestwick, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Patrick Joseph Breene,
P/O Frederick Arthur Caunter-Jackson.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Marine Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Dereham

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1941 at 0445 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P2144

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2251LT on June 2 on an operation to Düsseldorf. While returning to base the following night, the crew elected to divert to RAF Bircham Newton when the airplane ran out of fuel and crash landed near Dereham and was damaged beyond repair. All four crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt P. Sleight,
Sgt Woods,
Sgt Burrows,
Sgt Lodington.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Recklinghausen

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

X3120

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Recklinghausen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2258LT on June 2 on an operation to Düsseldorf. It crash landed near Recklinghausen the following night. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt William Asson,
Sgt Neil Musson Campbell,
Sgt Charles Ernest Hawkes,
Sgt Harold George Johnson.

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

Date & Time: May 16, 1941 at 0336 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AD841

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2300LT on May 15 on an operation to Hanover. While passing over the Netherlands at night, it was shot down by the German Flak and was abandoned by the crew. Both pilots were killed and two other crew became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Stanley Leonard Bailey, pilot, †
P/O William Alexander McVie, pilot, †
Sgt Charles William Carter,
Sgt John Kennedy Scouler.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: May 12, 1941 at 0257 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AD900

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell in the evening of May 11 on an operation to Bremen. Over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Hoogkarspel. Two crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
S/L Colin Guy Champion Rawlins, pilot,
P/O Reginald Frank John Featherstone, observer,
Sgt Stanley Albert Taylor, wireless operator, †
P/O Reginald Herbert Vaughan, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Syderstone

Date & Time: May 9, 1941 at 0500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AD901

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 2214LT on May 8 on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, it crashed in a field near Syderstone. All four crew members were rescued.
Crew:
S/L Fleming,
Sgt Wathey,
Sgt G. Crombie,
F/O Morgan.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Aldbourne

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AD825

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1535LT on an operation to Brest. Hit by the German Flak, the crew returning to base and eventually abandoned the airplane that crashed in Aldbourne, southeast of Swindon. All five crew members were rescued, among them one was injured by enemy fire.
Crew:
Sgt .L .W Metcalfe,
Sgt F. A. Armstrong,
Sgt O. W. J. Pearce,
Sgt W. Butler.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.