Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Öhringen: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
T4152
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
1845
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1756LT on October 21 to bomb an aircraft components factory based in the region of Stuttgart. While approaching from the north, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Öhrigen, about 50 km northeast of Stuttgart. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/L Allan Smith Phillips, pilot,
Sgt David Bruce Gordon, pilot,
Sgt William Arthur Lofthouse, observer,
Sgt Christopher Parker Mapplethorpe, wireless operator,
Sgt Ian George Wills, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Bellingham

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1940 at 0520 LT
Operator:
Registration:
P4952
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
1679
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1733LT on October 14 to bomb a synthetic oil plant located in Stettin (Szczecin), Poland. While returning to his base, the crew noticed the fuel reserve was insufficient. All five crew members decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The bomber entered a dive and crashed in a field located in Watson Walls, near Bellingham. All five crew members were uninjured.
Crew (10th Squadron):
S/L Kenneth Francis Ferguson, pilot,
Sgt Charles Stanley Rogers, pilot,
Sgt Walter Fraser, observer,
Sgt Ernest Cummings, wireless operator,
Sgt Mark Alfred Niman, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Aircraft abandoned due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near RAF Driffield

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1940 at 0510 LT
Operator:
Registration:
T4150
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
1843
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 1805LT on October 14 to bomb an synthetic oil plant located in Stettin (Szczecin), Poland. While returning to his base in the next early morning. the crew noticed the fuel quantity was insufficient and decided to divert to RAF Driffield. On approach, the captain was forced to make an emergency landing few miles short of runway. All crew members evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew (58th Squadron):
F/O B. Brooke, pilot,
Sgt C. S. Halley, pilot,
Sgt Henderson, observer,
Sgt Collie, wireless operator,
Sgt Guest, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near RAF Topcliffe: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1940 at 0430 LT
Operator:
Registration:
T4143
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
1836
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1727LT on October 14 to bomb a synthetic oil plant located in Stettin (Szczecin), Poland. While returning to his base in the next early morning, the crew was unable to determine his exact position due to low visibility caused by thick cloud. Due to fuel exhaustion, the captain attempted an emergency landing in a field when the airplane crashed and burnt. Two crew members were killed and three others were seriously injured.
Crew (10th Squadron):
F/Lt Dennis Brendon Geoffrey Tomlinson, pilot,
Sgt T. A. Byrne, pilot,
P/O Robert James Dickinson, observer, †
Sgt Leslie Peter Neville, wireless operator, †
Sgt R. L. Somerville, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Weybridge: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1940 at 2000 LT
Operator:
Registration:
P4993
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
1715
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1731LT on an operation to Le Havre. While returning in the evening, it collided with a balloon barrage cable and crashed near Weybridge. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Cooney, pilot,
Sgt Dennis Raymond Wright, pilot,
Sgt James John Caswell, observer,
Sgt Edward Davies, wireless operator,
Sgt Bart Llewellyn Henry, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Collision with a balloon barrage cable.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Rosedale Abbey: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1940 at 2055 LT
Operator:
Registration:
X2920
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Hemswell - Leeming
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hemswell on a mine laying mission with four crew on board. While on return flight, the crew was instructed to divert to RAF Leeming due to bad weather over Hemswell. While cruising in poor weather conditions, the airplane crashed in Hartoft Moor east of Rosedale Abbey. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Gerald D'Arcy-Wright, pilot,
Sgt William Arthur Cannon, observer,
Sgt Alan Algar, wireless operator,
Sgt Walter Benedict Rayment, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V into the Irish Sea

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1940 at 0640 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1483
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
1623
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1800LT On September 30 to bomb the Air Ministry building in the Leipzigstrasse in Berlin. On return, while flying over England at night, the crew sent a series of distress calls and descended to the Irish Sea where the airplane was ditched at 0640LT. Late in the evening of October 1st, all five crew members were rescued by a trawler with various injuries.
Crew:
F/O L. D. Wood,
P/O K. Humby,
Sgt C. Douglas-Browne,
Sgt E. R. Mounsey,
Sgt R. M. Thomas.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Badbergen: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1940 at 2319 LT
Operator:
Registration:
T4130
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
1823
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1804LT on an operation to Berlin. In the late evening, it was intercepted by searchlights then shot down by the pilot of a Me.110 and crashed in Badbergen. Both pilots were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Geoffrey Lucien Ismay, pilot, †
Sgt Victor Snell, pilot, †
Sgt William Dennis Chamberlain,
Sgt Robert Edward Nicholson,
Sgt Alexander Strachan Shand.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Spurn Head

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1940 at 2100 LT
Operator:
Registration:
P4966
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
MSN:
1693
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1938LT on an operation to Antwerp. While outbound, the starboard engine failed and the bomber was ditched in the sea some 20 miles off Spurn Head at 2100LT. All five crew members took place in a dinghy and were rescued at 0030LT by a trawler.
Crew:
S/L Kenneth Francis Ferguson RAF, pilot,
Sgt Charles Stanley Rogers, pilot,
Sgt Walter Fraser, observer,
Sgt Ernest Cummings, wireless operator,
Sgt Mark Niman, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure after takeoff.

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

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1940 at 1938 LT
Operator:
Registration:
P4966
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to the British coast, the right engine failed. As the captain was unable to maintain a safe altitude, he decided to ditch the aircraft some 20 miles off Easington. All five crew members were rescued while the aircraft sunk and was lost.
Crew (10th Squadron):
S/L Kenneth Francis Ferguson, pilot,
Sgt Charles Stanley Rogers, pilot,
Sgt Walter Fraser, observer,
Sgt Ernest Cummings, wireless operator,
Sgt Mark Niman, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.