Vechta | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Waddington at 2349LT on January 30 on an operation to Hamburg. Passing south of Bremen, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in the vicinity of Vechta. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Jack Findlay Thomas, pilot,
Sgt Bryan Milton Swallow, pilot,
Sgt Stanley Frederick McLean, flight engineer,
Sgt John Murtagh, navigator,
Sgt William John Veysey, wireless operator,
Sgt Alfred Walter Hover, air gunner,
F/Sgt Laurence Alfred Morgan, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Vechta: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942 at 1956 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

R9247

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Newmarket - Newmarket

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The airplane departed RAF Newmarket at 1800LT on an operation to Fallersleben. Approaching Vechta, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near the airfield. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Henry Edwin Rousseau, pilot,
Sgt William Wilson Morton, flight engineer,
P/O Mervyn Oliver Clark, observer,
Sgt Reginald Crosby Mocock, bomb aimer,
Sgt Christopher James Kendal, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Fellows, air gunner,
Sgt Henry Welsh Pullar, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217J-2 in Werlte

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.217

Operator:

Registration:

D5+GH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Vechta - Vechta

MSN:

1318

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed Vechta Airfield on an operational sortie. It was shot down by a British bomber and crash landed in Werlte. All three crew members were injured.
Crew:
Lt Fünfstück, pilot,
Uffz Fehmann, radio operator,
Uffz Schneider, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British bomber.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217J-2 in Wolfsburg: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.217

Operator:

Registration:

D5+DH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Vechta - Vechta

MSN:

1301

YOM:

1941

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While on a combat mission, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Westhagen, in the suburb of Wolfsburg. Two crew members were injured while the radio operator, Uffz Karl Pohl, was killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I near Vechta: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 24, 1942 at 0146 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7428

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Wattisham - Wattisham

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The airplane departed RAF Wattisham at 2245LT on an operation to Vechta Airfield. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a pasture located east of the city. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Fred Martyn Thorne, pilot,
P/O Bryan Manssen Cook, observer,
P/O William Smith Blackadder, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.