Middleton St George AFB

The aircraft was on a flight from Middleton St. George to Birmingham, and the crew of one pilot and one photographer planned to complete several photographic survey jobs en route. Shortly after sunset, when flying at 2,000 ft. a.m.s.l. at an estimated position five miles west of Sheffield and near high ground rising to 2,000 ft. a.m.s.l., the pilot decided that the fuel remaining was insufficient to reach Birmingham with the existing headwind of 40 knots. He established contact with Manchester Approach Control and was given permission to divert to Manchester Airport on a special VFR clearance "not above 3,500 ft. a.m.s.l. on a QNH of 1013 mbs., clear of all cloud, and in sight of the surface". Shortly after this, when on a north-westerly heading to intercept a QDM of 270°M to the 'ME' (Manchester) beacon, the pilot saw hill tops about four miles ahead and commenced climbing from 2,000 ft. to 3,500 ft. The pilot states that the aircraft entered cloud at 2,500 ft. and that, on reaching 2,700 ft., he noticed that the vertical speed indicator was showing a descent of 2,000 ft./min. He states that he applied full power and eased the nose up but, after this, he remembers nothing further until he regained consciousness lying on the ground, alongside the photographer in front of the wrecked aircraft.

The aircraft left RAF Middleton Saint George at 1845LT on a night navigation exercice. At 2137LT, the crew informed ground that the mission was uneventful until this time. Twenty-three minutes later, the aircraft went into a dive. At an altitude of 1,000 feet, it partially disintegrated and eventually crashed in a pasture. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
S. J. Murdoch, pilot,
F/Lt W. A. Ryde, navigator,
F/Lt H. Seiman, navigator,
Sig A. E. Bazen.

During an airshow in RAF Middleton Saint George, the crew was involved in a demonstration mission consisting of para-dropping a low height. On final approach, during the last segment, the airplane nosed down and crashed at runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.

While cruising in VFR mode over the region of Coventry at an altitude of 4,500 feet, the Anson collided with a BEA C-47 registered G-AHCW and carrying four crew members and six passengers from Northolt to Glasgow. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in Exhall, north of Coventry. All 14 occupants in both aircraft were killed.

The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2303LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. It burst the port tire after running over a Glim Lamp. The pilot decided to continue with the operation, and this was completed satisfactorily. On return to base at 0500LT the following night, the undercarriage collapsed as the Halifax landed, sustaining considerable damage. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
Sgt J. H. G. Bingham,
Sgt G. Thom,
Sgt M. C. Glover,
F/S M. H. Roberts,
Sgt J. B. F. Fanning,
Sgt R. H. Warkcup,
Sgt R. N. Bircher.

The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2316LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. Approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Sint Maartensvlotbrug. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Walter Stell, pilot, †
Sgt David Henry Nelson, flight engineer,
Sgt William Archer, observer, †
Sgt Robert Cecil Cockburn, bomb aimer,
Sgt Douglas Perry Brooks, wireless operator, †
Sgt Ronald Greenwood, air gunner, †
F/Sgt Charles Ronald Metcalfe, air gunner. †

The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2314LT on June 3 on an operation to Bremen. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Harlingen. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Adams Philp, pilot,
Sgt John Battersby, flight engineer,
Sgt Frank Edwin Ormerod, observer,
P/O Robert Samuel Mulhauser, wireless operator,
Sgt James Henry Harte, air gunner,
Sgt Willie Watson, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2306LT on June 1st on an operation to Essen. While homebound, the starboard inner engine began to vibrate and within a short time the unit seized. The Halifax was then attacked by a nigh-fighter and crashed near Bossut. Two crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Thomas Ronald Augustus West, pilot, †
Sgt William Joseph Norfolk,
Sgt John Anthony Oldfield,
Sgt Peter Wright,
Sgt John Robert Thompson, air gunner, †
P/O Walter Barton Mulligan.

The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2356LT on May 29 on an operation to Gennevilliers. Over the target, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O John Dalrymple Anderson, pilot,
Sgt William Brown, flight engineer,
P/O Norman Hamilton Bowack, observer,
F/Sgt Thomas Robert Marshall, observer,
F/Sgt Douglas Albert Miner, wireless operator,
Sgt James Nicol, air gunner,
Sgt Maurice Stanley Douglas Corker, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2235LT on May 19 on an operation to Mannheim. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Marche-en-Famenne. All seven crew members survived and became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Frank Willis Anderson, pilot,
Sgt Edward Kerr Southward,
Sgt Cyril Ilian,
Sgt Rodney Haslam Baird,
Sgt Gerard Bert Gowers,
Sgt Antony Edward Redding,
Sgt Ray Arsene La Franchise.