Watton AFB

Operator:

Registration:

T1934

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Watton at 0840LT on a bombing mission over Aalborg. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near the Aalborg Airport. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/Cdr Edward Collis De Virac Lart, pilot,
P/O Maurice Hardy Gillingham, observer,
Sgt Augustus Spencer Beeby, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 10, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R3910

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Watton to attack aerodromes. It was lost over the sea. No trace was ever found.
Crew:
P/O Norman Henry Harwood-Smith,
Sgt John Kenneth Blazier,
Sgt Claude Hamilton.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in De Cocksdorp: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1940 at 1307 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R3619

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Watton on a bombing mission over Bremen. While flying over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crash landed in a field in De Cocksdorp. A crew was killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Frederick William Spink Keightley,
Sgt John William Hammond Parsons,
Sgt Keith Dalroy MacPherson. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Schiermonnikoog Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1940 at 1315 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R3701

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

Location:

Schiermonnikoog Island

Friesland

Country:

Netherlands

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Watton on an operation over Amsterdam. It was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed into the sea off Schiermonnikoog Island. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Peter Humphrey Lewis, pilot,
Sgt Horace William Richardson, observer,
Sgt James Newberry, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Wilster: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 13, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R3756

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Watton to attack various targets. It was shot down by the German Flak and crash landed near Wilster. A crew member was killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt D. A. Adams, pilot,
Sgt A. Avery, observer,
Sgt Arfon Evans, wireless operator and air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by the Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Clairmarais

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R3690

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

Location:

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Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Watton to attack airfields in France. It was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crash landed in Clairmarais. All three crew members became PoW.
Crew:
P/O John Harold Tearl Palmer, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Howard, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Wallace Jeffrey Farley, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

P4843

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

MSN:

9358

YOM:

1939

Location:

Düsseldorf

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Watton on a bombing mission over Germany. It crashed in unknown circumstances near Düsseldorf, killing all three crew members.
Crew:
Sgt Frank Hutton, pilot,
Sgt Charles William Pickering, observer,
Sgt John Aiden Rogers, wireless operator and air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Jul 2, 1940 at 1150 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

P6895

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

MSN:

9420

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Watton with orders to bomb targets along the Dortmund-Ems Canal. Flying over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed in Venhuizen. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Hurll Fontayne Chester, pilot,
Sgt Herbert Histon, observer,
Sgt Robert J. McAllister, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Zeist: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1940 at 1620 LT

Type of aircraft: