Istres-Le Tubé

The aircraft left Istres-Le Tubé AFB at 1237LT bound for Udine with an intermediate stop in Pisa. While flying over the Alps, the crew encountered poor visibility with snowstorm and strong winds. In such conditions, the captain decided to return to Istres but was unable to locate his position with certainty. Few minutes later, while flying northwest of the village of Château Garnier, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt du Cheval Blanc culminating at an altitude of 2,323 meters. The wreckage was spotted by the crew of a USAF B-17 based in Germany two days later. On site, rescuers did not find any survivors and among the passengers were five children aged 5, and women of US soldiers based in Udine. The day after the wreckage was found, the US B-17 crashed in the same region, killing its entire crew of nine.

After its departure from Lyon, bound for Istres and flying south of Grenoble in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Dévoluy Mountain Range. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was localized by walkers on September 26, 1946, at an altitude of 2,700 meters, in a craggy area located between the Petit Obiou and the Grand Obiou. All 11 occupants were killed.

While cruising at an altitude of 3,000 feet in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Pic des Mouches (1,011 meters high) located in the Sainte-Victoire Mountain Range, near Puyloubier. The wreckage was found about 24 km east of Aix-en-Provence and all five crew members were killed.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19460202-3

The airplane departed Istres AFB on its last leg to RAF Membury. While cruising at an altitude of 20,000 feet, the aircraft went through a low pressure area with clouds and turbulence. Shortly later, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located in Teloché, about 15 km south of Le Mans. All 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/O Victor Albert Bain, pilot,
Sgt Eric Edward Bartlett, wireless operator,
F/O Norman Leslie Brown, navigator,
W/O Joseph Edmund Edwards, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Lt Lancelot Benjamin Albert Elias, navigator,
F/Lt Victor Franck Funnell, pilot,
F/Lt Thomas Knowles, pilot,
F/Lt Arthur William Atkinson Scott, pilot,
F/Lt Harry Raymond Shephard, pilot,
F/Lt James Stephen, navigator,
F/Lt Stephen Maurice Tugwell, pilot.

The crew was performing a mission to the Middle East and the takeoff run was completed by night and poor weather conditions. At liftoff, the aircraft stalled and crashed. All four crew members and 13 passengers were killed while seven others were seriously injured.
Crew (78th Squadron):
F/O Guy Wilberforce Venables,
F/O Arthur Ernest Venables,
F/O John Edward Dickson,
F/Sgt Eric Frank Dean.
Passengers:
Cpl Headley Brightmore Archer,
LAC Robert Bell,
LAC David Briddock,
LAC Walter James Chaimberlain,
Cpl George Eric Coldwell,
LAC Ronald Fulstone Elliott,
LAC Victor Robert Haddock,
LAC Alfred Edgar Hamshere,
LAC George Brice Jones,
LAC John Ivor Morgan,
LAC Ronald Richards,
LAC Edmund Stuart,
Cpl Joseph Hutchinson.

The crew was performing a flight from England to the Airbase of Istres-Le Tubé, south of France. While cruising east of Annecy in poor weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Tournette at the altitude of 1,950 meters and located near Thônes. Upon impact, the aircraft caused an avalanche and all debris and the four crew bodies were recovered by snow. Thus, it was impossible for the rescue teams to locate the aircraft and all operations were suspended after few days. The wreckage and the dead bodies were eventually found during summer 1945.
Crew:
2nd Lt Kenneth V. Halverson, pilot,
1st Lt Reeves K. Gauthier, copilot,
S/Sgt Robert L. Campbell, radio operator,
S/Sgt Charles D. Pavlak, flight engineer.

En route to Istres with 15 wounded soldiers on board, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility, fog and severe icing. The aircraft hit the slope of Mt Pilat located some 10 km southeast of Saint-Chamond and was destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire. All 20 occupants were killed. The wreckage was found 90 meters from the top of the mountain (1,350 meters high).
Crew (802nd Evac Squadron):
1st Lt Carson Max Roberts, pilot,
2nd Lt William C. Ward, copilot,
Sgt Shirley N. Breckinridge, flight engineer,
Cpl Howard E. Kahler, radio operator,
Aleda Ester Lutz, nurse.
Passengers:
Cpt William A. Steinhurst,
1st Lt Roger M. Philips,
S/Sgt Leonard Vasquez,
Sgt Ronald Takara,
1st Class Ellis F. Gillespie,
1st Class Ciro J. Romono,
2nd Class Edwin Beal,
2nd Class John Ferrata,
2nd Class John B. Young,
Anton Eppenschwantiner,
Bertholdt Hennegriff,
Heinrich Loesch,
Erich Kimmerle,
Max Schmann,
Ottmar Spang.
Source & photo:
http://calm.sopixi.fr/files/crashesc47valleerhonecalm.pdf

The crew already completed two prior similar flights during the day, carrying staff from Ambérieu-en-Bugey to Istres AFB. En route, while flying along the Rhône River at an altitude of some 500 feet, the right engine failed. The captain decided to reduce his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing on the river. At low height, the aircraft hit a ferry cable and crashed into the river. In fifteen minutes, all seven occupants were able to leave the cabin and while six of them could swim to the shore, a passenger drowned. The aircraft drifted on several yards before coming to rest in Montfaucon.
Crew:
1st Lt Jack V. Devette, pilot,
2nd Lt Clifton E. Smith, copilot,
T/Sgt Raymond F. Foy, mechanic,
S/Sgt Bonnell Chambers Birkhead Jr., radio operator.
Passengers:
Milton Kushner,
Kenneth N. Spry,
Paul R. Gwaltney. †

The airplane was completing an exercise at Istres-Le Tubé AFB when it crashed in unknown circumstances in Vergières located north of the airbase. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Adj/C André Schirman,
Adj/C Joseph Beck,
Sgt Bernard Perrey,
Sgt André Frachez-Charlot.

While approaching Istres AFB following a bombing mission over Torino, Italy, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in Miramas. Three crew members were injured and Cpl/C Jean Pierre Marie Diguet, air gunner, was killed.