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Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Bomal: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1942 at 0108 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9350
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Bomal
Luxembourg
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall 2058LT on September 16 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Bomal. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
W/O Stephen Austin Levenson, pilot, †
Sgt George Bullimore Melton, flight engineer, †
F/Sgt Stuart Spencer Newcomb, observer, †
Sgt William James Davies, wireless operator, †
Sgt Laurence Charles Tillin, wireless operator, †
Sgt Gordon Archibald Barrow, air gunner,
Sgt Richard John Cox, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Essen: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ897
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Essen
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 Stradishall in the evening of September 16 on an operation to Essen. It is believed that it was shot down by the German Flak while approaching the target area and crashed. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Kitchen Griffith,
P/O C. H. Grant,
Sgt Leonard William Stephenson,
Sgt A. W. Firth,
P/O R. H. Hill.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Ahaus: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 16, 1942 at 2322 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
Z1084
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Ahaus
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 Stradishall at 1955LT on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Ahaus, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Lt John Dawson, pilot,
W/O Philip Sibbald Ogilvie Brichta, observer,
P/O George Clarence Goold, observer,
F/Sgt William Kilpatrick Hughes, wireless operator,
W/O Lorne James Lemoine, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Barrien: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1942 at 0346 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9166
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Barrien
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 0037LT on an operation to Bremen. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Barrien, some 15 km south of Bremen. Six crew members were killed and the navigator became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Robert Joseph Cartmell, pilot, †
Sgt Ronald Dicks, flight engineer, †
F/O Philip Fussey, navigator,
P/O Harry Edward Orr, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Joseph George Spouler, wireless operator, †
Sgt Roy Frederick Reynolds, air gunner, †
Sgt Stanley Watson, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Manston

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1942 at 0245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
R9355
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Manston
Kent
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 2101LT on September 8 on an operation to Frankfurt. It was hit by the German Flak, which caused the port inner engine to fall from its frame; the starboard outer was also damaged, and later, failed completely. On return, an emergency landing was made at 0245LT at Manston Airfield, during which the Stirling was wrecked.
Crew:
P/O C. D. Ince,
P/O C. J. Whittingham,
Sgt F. C. Fray,
P/O R. S. Pearch,
Sgt W. J. Dempster,
P/O A. F. Arnold,
Sgt W. Johnson-Biggs.
Probable cause:
Hit by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III off Terschelling: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ769
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Terschelling
Friesland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall on an operation to Duisburg. Flying along the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Terschelling. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Robert Williams, pilot,
F/Sgt John Buchanan Lawrence,
F/Sgt Frederick Erwin Edgar Lyons,
F/Sgt Sydney McMenomy,
P/O Clarence William Reaume.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in De Lichtmis: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 5, 1942 at 0400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Short S.29 Stirling
Operator:
Registration:
BF337
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
De Lichtmis
Overijssel
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 0004LT on an operation to Bremen. While returning to base, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in De Lichtmis. Three crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt John Gordon Smith, pilot,
Sgt Elwyn Meredith, flight engineer, †
P/O David Nasmyth Osborne, observer,
Sgt William Basington Watt, wireless operator,
Sgt Iain Menzies Robertson Stewart, wireless operator, †
Sgt G. Davidson, air gunner,
P/O Arthur McCarthy, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III into the North Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 5, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
BJ891
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
North Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall on an operation to Bremen. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the North Sea, probably off the Dutch province of Friesland. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Davidson Gill,
P/O Norman Ingram Gill,
P/O Robert Walter Harrison,
Sgt George Smith Jennings,
F/Sgt Joseph Norbert Tapp.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Alzey

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3391
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Alzey
Rhineland-Palatinate
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall in the evening of August 28 on an operation to Nuremberg. It crash landed due to technical trouble near Alzey, bursting into flames. Five crew members became PoW and a sixth occupant evaded.
Crew:
F/Sgt Alan Ronald Cook,
Sgt James Rutherford Dixon,
F/Lt Peter John Cleverly Harper,
P/O James John Mullineaux,
F/Sgt Norman Alexander Skinner,
Sgt H. Colhoun.
Probable cause:
Unknown technical trouble in flight.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Cheratte: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1942 at 2351 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3754
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
Cheratte
Liège
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall on an operation to Nuremberg. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Cheratte. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Douglas Follett, pilot, †
P/O Roland Anthony Ayres, observer,
Sgt Murray Swann, wireless operator, †
Sgt Frank Ernest Kearns, air gunner, †
Sgt John Ramsey, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
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