Zone
Morbihan

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Lorient: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3709
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bourn - Bourn
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bourn to lay mines off Lorient. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off the French coast and was lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt John Saunders Weaver, pilot,
Sgt Hector Thomas Moore Cooper, pilot,
Sgt Ioan Henri Roberts, navigator,
P/O Norman Ernest Myring, observer,
Sgt John Harley Dixon, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Claude William Valder, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Lorient: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
R5493
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 1950LT on a mine laying operation off Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Lyster Warren-Smith, pilot,
Sgt Richard Alfred Marston, pilot,
Sgt Clive Edward Wigram Clifford, navigator,
Sgt Alistair Fraser Murdock, navigator,
Sgt Edward Burgess Cluff, wireless operator,
Sgt John Boyd, wireless operator,
Sgt Willliam Harold Flower, air gunner,
Sgt John McNally Davidson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE400
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skellingthorpe at 0217LT on a mine laying operation off Lorient (Artichokes area). It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed in the sea off the target area. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Allan Godfrey Davidson, pilot,
Sgt Leslie Norman Follows, copilot,
Sgt William Mervyn Alastair Eeadley, wireless operator,
Sgt Gordon Shackleton, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6122
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Crashed for unknown reasons into the sea off Lorient. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Charles Edward Greville-Heygate, pilot,
P/O Geoffrey Troup, observer,
Sgt Charles Holt Naylor, wireless operator and air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Jun 26, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
V6087
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 1110LT on an anti-shipping operation of the French coast. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Lorient, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Dennis Trevelyan Herrick, pilot,
Sgt Gordon Francis Wilson Gahagan,
Sgt George Leonard Wells.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P-2 near Lorient

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Registration:
1G+??
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1360
YOM:
1936
Location:
Lorient
Morbihan
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing near Lorient. All four crew members evacuated safely, among them one was injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Uffz Walter Zapf, air gunner, +3.
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