Crash of a Learjet 24b in Wilhelmshaven: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 18, 1973
Type of aircraft:
Learjet 24
Operator:
Registration:
D-IHLZ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Executive/Corporate/Business
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
24-225
YOM:
1970
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
On final approach to Wilhelmshaven-Mariensiel Airport, the crew was completing a last turn at an altitude of about 600 feet when the airplane struck tree tops located 600 meters short of runway threshold. The airplane lost height and crashed in flames 100 meters short of runway. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all four occupants were killed.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-25-BO Flying Fortress off Wilhelmshaven: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 18, 1943 at 1530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24558
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Molesworth - Molesworth
MSN:
3243
YOM:
1942
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Molesworth on an operation to Bremen. Over Wilhelmshaven, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea (Jade Bight) off the city. Five crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Charles N. Austin, pilot,
1st Lt Norbert B. Feldman, copilot, †
1st Lt Richard G. White, navigator,
S/Sgt Samuel O. Snipes, flight engineer,
Sgt Bernard A. Gergash, radio operator,
1st Lt Robert A. Coltrane, bombardier, †
S/Sgt Alex Le Blanc, air gunner, †
Sgt Eugene W. Eckard, air gunner,
S/Sgt Delbert Mikkelsen, air gunner, †
Sgt Fred O. Deal, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress off Wilhelmshaven: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24447
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bassingbourn - Bassingbourn
MSN:
3132
YOM:
1942
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. Over the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak. The engine n°4 caught fire then the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt John T. Swais,
1st Lt Harry O. Green,
2nd Lt Ralston E. Bixler,
2nd Lt Cassius Brandenburg,
S/Sgt Robert A. De Barbrie,
S/Sgt Herbert E. Fisher,
S/Sgt Gregg Nesemeier,
S/Sgt Arthur A. Sullivan,
T/Sgt Everett Gause,
T/Sgt Walter E. Gilroy.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Wilhelmshaven: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
R5750
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Syerston - Syerston
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 1815LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. Presumed crashed in the sea close to the target area. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Edward Roy Markland, pilot,
Sgt Dennis William Penney,
F/Sgt John Bert Frost,
Sgt Maurice Dransfield,
F/O Peter Rodney Myers,
Sgt Robert Sidney Greep,
Sgt Edward Parry, air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III off Wilhelmshaven: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED529
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bottesford - Bottesford
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bottesford at 1755LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. It was shot down by enemy fire but the exact circumstances remains unclear: or it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off the Frisian Islands or it was shot down by the German Flak over the target area and crashed into the Bay of Jade off Wilhelmshaven. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Henry Bookless Vine, pilot,
Sgt Robert Sinden, flight engineer,
Sgt Kenneth Westthorp, navigator,
Sgt John McKee, bomb aimer,
Sgt Derek Arnold Booth, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Haslam, air gunner,
Sgt Clifford Wignall, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1942 at 0140 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3634
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Bourn - Bourn
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
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 Bourn on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the Bay of Jade, off Wilhelmshaven. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O James Richard Tregea, pilot,
Sgt Hugh Cuthbert Craig,
Sgt Alexander Albert Brace.
Sgt Charles Henry Stewart,
Sgt Leslie John Symonds.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Marine Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Wilhelmshaven: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3477
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2000LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. It was intercepted and shot down by a Me.110 and crash landed on a sandy area located north of Wilhelmshaven, bursting into flames. Two crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Edward Hobson, pilot, †
F/Sgt Joseph Clarence Albert Marcotte, pilot,
F/Sgt Arnold Leo Flesch, observer, †
Sgt K. H. Paul, wireless operator,
F/Sgt S. J. Bailey, wireless operator,
P/O W. E. Broderick, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Wilhelmshaven: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
P4360
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Hemswell - Hemswell
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hemswell on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. It is believed that it crashed into the sea while approaching the target but no trave was ever found.
Crew:
P/O Angus Robson,
P/O David Leslie Wingate,
Sgt Hunter Chambers,
Sgt Arthur Alexander Wilmot.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Wilhelmshaven

Date & Time: Aug 12, 1940 at 0449 LT
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
P4983
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
MSN:
1705
YOM:
1940
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Dishforth to bomb a synthetic oil plant in the region of Gelsenkirchen. It crashed in unknown circumstances at night near Wilhelmshaven. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Albert Edward Bowes,
Sgt Frank John Cecil Brown,
Sgt John Albert Kearey,
Sgt William Henry Mercer,
Sgt Ernest Harry Platts.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Wilhelmshaven: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
P4358
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Hemswell - Hemswell
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hemswell on a mission over Wilhelmshaven. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crash landed in a field. Three crew members became PoW and a fourth was killed.
Crew:
Sgt John Fleming Cowan,
P/O Alexander Herbert Gould,
Sgt John Neil Prendergast,
P/O David Stuart Carnegie, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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