Zone
Somerset

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Simonsbath: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1940 at 0500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R3168
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Simonsbath
Somerset
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1930LT on September 29 on an operation to Leipzig. It ran out of fuel and crashed at 0500LT in Simonsbath, Somerset. The air gunner was killed and five other occupants were injured.
Crew:
P/O F. H. Denton,
Sgt A. A. Orrock,
Sgt J. F. Farquhar,
Sgt L. A. Hayter,
Sgt A. E. White,
P/O Edward Arthur Jelley, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Simonsbath: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
N5084
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Harwell - Harwell
Location:
Simonsbath
Somerset
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night cross-country flight out from RAF Harwell. En route, the twin engine aircraft crashed on hilly terrain in Simonsbath. The wreckage was found 40 hours later in the Exmoor National Park. All five crewmen were killed.
Crew (148th Squadron):
F/O Thomas William Storey, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Robert Moss, observer,
Sgt Gerald Roland Cecil Talbot, observer,
AC1 Arthur John Whittaker, wireless operator and gunner,
AC2 Frederick Challenger Overall.
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