Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Whitby: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R1759
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 1740LT on January 15 an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, it is presumed that it crashed into the sea off Whitby. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Edward Everett Hale, pilot,
Sgt George James Peck, pilot,
F/Sgt William John Elder,
Sgt Arthur Lionel Lax,
Sgt Joseph Barnby Myers,
P/O Henry Joseph Woodrow.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Whitby

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z8848
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2148LT on November 15 on an operation to Kiel. While returning to base the following night, it was ditched in the sea some 10 miles east of Whitby and sank. All six crew members were rescued by a destroyer crewed by Norwegian sailors.
Crew:
P/O J. F. Stock,
Sgt J. A. Weller,
P/O J. B. Maher,
Sgt V. C. Baker,
Sgt H. L. Suckling,
Sgt J. J. Roche.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Whitby: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 27, 1941 at 0215 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AD785
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Coningsby - Coningsby
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 1810LT on October 26 on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, it exploded and crashed onto the Whitby to Scarborough road. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O David Roy Bowden, pilot,
Sgt Edward Boucher Smith, pilot,
Sgt Oliver Halward, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Darrel Barry Stables, wireless operator.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Whitby

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
T4289
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
MSN:
1942
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While returning to base at RAF Topcliffe following an operation to Berlin, the crew was forced to ditch the aircraft off the English coast due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft crashed into the sea off Whitby. While all five crew members were rescued, the aircraft sank and was lost. Crew from the 102nd Squadron.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Vickers 290 Wellington I off Whitby: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1940 at 0004 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L4339
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wick - Wick
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew departed Wick at the end of the afternoon on a reconnaissance mission of the Trondheim-Værnes Airport, Norway. While returning to its base at night and approaching the British coast, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the North Sea some 22 miles north of Whitby. All six occupants were killed.
Crew (38th Squadron):
P/O George Leslie Crosby, pilot,
P/O Arthur Guy Wyndham Merewether, pilot,
S/L Lionel C. Franklin,
Sgt Ronald Henry Willis,
AC2 Robert Michael Godfrey Clark,
P/O Charles Evelyn Walter Roy Edmunds.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the airplane crashed after being shot by enemy fire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H3 in Whitby: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 3, 1940 at 0940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1H+FM
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Schleswig - Schleswig
MSN:
3232
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While cruising off the British coast on a reconnaissance mission, the aircraft was attacked by the crew of an RAF Hawker Hurricane. The pilot attempted to divert to the nearest airfield but on approach, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field. Two crewmen were killed while two others were injured.
Crew (26th Squadron):
Fw Herman Wilms, pilot,
Uffz Karl Missy, wireless operator,
Uffz Rudolf Leuschake, observer, †
Uffz Johann Meyer, engineer. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by an RAF fighter.