Southend-on-Sea | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew departed RAF Hunsdon at 2355LT on June 14 on a maritime patrol flight. The airplane failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed into The Thames, maybe off Southend-on-Sea. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Thomas Colquhoun Edmonds Berkeley,
Sgt Reginald Carr.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 off Southend-on-Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1941 at 1550 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

A1+AN

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

5517

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The airplane was engaged on an operation to England. Approaching the London area by the east, it was shot down by the pilot of a British fighter and crashed into the Thames Estuary off Southend-on-Sea. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Max Petry, pilot,
Gefr Robert Massarsch, observer,
Uffz Herbert Wordelmann, radio operator,
Fw Hermann Bock, flight engineer,
Gefr Eugen Kaiser, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Southend: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1940 at 0430 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

N3578

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bodney - Bodney

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The airplane departed RAF Bodney on the evening of December 3 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it crashed in unknown circumstances in Southend. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas James McCartney, pilot,
Sgt James Henderson, observer,
Sgt Jack Ratcliffe, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 off Southend: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1940 at 0430 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

A1+?M

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Lille - Lille

MSN:

2711

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The airplane departed Lille Airport on an operation over England. Approaching the British coast, it crashed in the Thames estuary off Southend. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Fw H. Beffart, pilot,
Ofw W. Ostertag, observer,
Uffz L. Brock, radio operator,
Uffz H. Frank, mechanic,
Gfr K. Schmiedl, air gunner.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-3 in Southend: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 30, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

A1+IL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Vitry-en-Artois - Vitry-en-Artois

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The aircraft departed Vitry-en-Artois Airfield in France on a bombing mission to Hatfield, northwest of London area. It made a stop in Douai to pick up the crew of another He.111 before continuing to UK. While approaching England by the east at an altitude of some 3,000 feet, the bomber was shot down by a RAF fighter. Three crew members were able to bail out before the aircraft crashed in Southend. Three other crewmen were killed as well as one lady on the ground who was hit by debris.
Crew:
Uffz Helmut Gall, pilot,
Uffz Wolf Rossler, observer,
Ernst Erhard Von Kuenheim, radio officer,
Uffz Adolf Saam, flight engineer,
Heinrich Fischer, rear gunner +1.
Source & photos: http://southendpatriot.blogspot.nl/2014/03/the-heinkel-111-air-crash-in-lifstan.html

Probable cause:

Shot down by a RAF fighter.

Crash of a Simmonds Spartan off Southend

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Simmonds Spartan

Operator:

Frank S. Davies

Registration:

G-AAMB

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Mayland – Southend

MSN:

YOM:

1929

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Circumstances:

On approach to Southend Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed in the Thames Estuary. Both occupants were rescued.

Crash of an Avro 504N in Southend

Date & Time: Jul 22, 1936

Type of aircraft:

Avro 504

Operator:

Canute Air Park Company

Registration:

G-ADBD

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Demonstration

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Southend - Southend

MSN:

K1245

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The pilot, sole on board, was taking part to an airshow at Southend Airport. After takeoff, the airplane went out of control and crashed. The pilot C. W. A. Scott escaped uninjured.