Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Nierst: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jun 2, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7713
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Nierst
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2346LT on June 1st on an operation to Essen. Approaching Düsseldorf, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Nierst, 5 km northwest of Düsseldorf Airport. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Ross Lloyd Baltzer, pilot,
Sgt James Luther Turnbull, flight engineer,
P/O Frederick Arthur George Wilmott Gerty, observer,
F/Sgt John Albert Thompson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Leonard Douglas Jackson, air gunner,
F/Sgt Stanleigh Lowry Reid, air gunner,
F/Sgt Joseph Marcel Wencelas Fortin, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Niederaussem: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0148 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
W7707
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Niederaussem
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 0022LT on an operation to Cologne. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Niederaussem, some 21 km northwest of Cologne. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Leonard Alfred Wadman,
Sgt Norman Acton,
F/Sgt Gerald Arthur Welsh,
P/O George Edmund Sankey,
Sgt Andrew Fraser McLean,
Sgt Warren Bryan Pickett,
Sgt Douglas Henning.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II at RAF Pocklington

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1942 at 1144 LT
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II
Operator:
Registration:
R9427
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Croft - Pocklington
Location:
Pocklington AFB
East Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was ferried from RAF Croft to RAF Pocklington. While trying to land in strong cross wind conditions, the airplane crashed and was damaged beyond repair. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
P/O Harold Ernest Bedford, pilot +4.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II into the North Sea

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1942 at 0518 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5390
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
North Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2203LT on April 14 on an operation to Dortmund. While returning to base the following morning, the crew sent a message requesting assistance. It is believed that the airplane ditched into the North Sea and was lost. Nevertheless, all five crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Howard William Bydwell,
Sgt Peter Melton Crowe,
Sgt Frederick John Alfred Hesselden,
P/O William Richard Samson,
P/O Percy Collins Toft.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Petersfield

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1942 at 0515 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
Z8350
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Petersfield
Hampshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2205LT on April 14 on an operation to Dortmund. While returning to base the following morning, the crew abandoned the airplane and parachuted to safety. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed in Petersfield.
Crew:
F/Sgt H. A. Chinn,
Sgt J. W. Bell,
F/Sgt Francis,
Sgt Wood,
F/Sgt Pickard.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Brühl: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1942 at 0233 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5427
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Brühl
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2214LT on April 14 on an operation to Dortmund. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Brühl, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Donald Malcolm MacFarlane, pilot,
Sgt Alan Godfrey Harvey Rheinberg, observer,
Sgt Malcolm David Jones, wireless operator,
Sgt William Stone Tyler, wireless operator,
Sgt John Cormack, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Creeting St Mary: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1942 at 0019 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5531
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Creeting St Mary
Suffolk
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2245LT on April 12 on an operation to Essen. About an hour into the flight, the crew encountered technical problems with the right engine. Due to unsuccessful attempts at quelling the fire, the captain ordered the crew to bail out. Four crew members were able to bail out and were rescued while two others remained on board and were killed when the airplane crashed in Creeting St Mary, southeast of Stowmarket.
Crew:
F/Sgt David Kilgour Lloyd, pilot, †
Sgt W. R. Ferrier, pilot,
F/Sgt G. M. Phillips,
F/Sgt R. A. Gardiner, wireless operator,
W/O Grant Russell Graves, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt H. J. Thomas, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
Z8358
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
North Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 2218LT on April 8 on an operation to Hamburg. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed into the North Sea. lost without trace.
Crew:
P/O Richard Philip Locke, pilot,
Sgt Aubrey Harold Edwards, pilot,
F/Sgt Nelson Leftly, observer,
Sgt John Cecil Dennis,
Sgt Dewi Edmund Jones,
F/Sgt John Wright Sanderson.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Marly-le-Roi: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 2, 1942 at 0400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
Z8527
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Marly-le-Roi
Yvelines
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Pockliugton at 0107LT on an operation against the Ford Motor factory located in Poissy. Approaching the target area, the airplane was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Marly-le-Roi. Five crew members were killed and a sixth became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Martin Charles Howe, pilot, †
F/Sgt Moheddeen Abdul Ghias Howsan, pilot, †
P/O Laurel Glenwood Burgoyne, observer,
F/Sgt Raoul Omer Joseph Page, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt William Charles Ashun, wireless operator and air gunner, †
P/O James George Mackinnon, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Pocklington

Date & Time: Mar 18, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5497
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Pocklington - Pocklington
Location:
Pocklington AFB
East Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane was returning to RAF Pocklington following a cross country exercise when it crashed upon landing. Both crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt J. R. Baillie,
Sgt F. H. Mitchell.
Subscribe to Pocklington AFB