Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Brest: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W7428
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton on an operation to Brest. Over the target area, it was shot down by a Me.109, caught fire and crashed into the sea. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Gordon Bunce,
P/O Roland Niall Chancellor,
Sgt David Ferguson,
Sgt Kenneth Ainslie Jeffreys,
Sgt Patrick George Osman,
F/Sgt James Lloyd Ruthven,
Sgt Robert Shearer,
F/Sgt Wilfred Wooldridge.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I near Plouguerneau: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N3665
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 0950LT on an operation to Brest. Last seen over the target with smoke pouring from one engine and trying to repel a strong fighter attack. Believed to have crashed near Plouguerneau, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt John Francis Bente,
F/Sgt Raymond Exelby,
F/Sgt Clarence Phillip Goulding,
F/Lt Gilbert Gresley Heathcote,
F/Sgt William Henry O'Neill,
Sgt David Glass Penman,
F/Sgt Jack Peters,
P/O Charles Leslie Smith.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Warboys

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1941 at 1225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W7450
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton in an attempt to bomb the Ruhr using cloud cover. It turned back with failing engines and crashed at 1225LT following a heavy landing at RAF Warboys. All eight crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt J. F. Barron,
Sgt Shepherd,
Sgt Cunningham,
P/O V. A. Mulhall,
Sgt Styles,
Sgt Taylor,
Sgt Coen,
Sgt Jackson.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Warboys

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W7429
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton on an operation to Plzen. It landed at RAF Warboys with the port engines unserviceable. A swing developed as the Stirling landed and on leaving the runway the main undercarriage unit collapsed, damaging the bomber beyond repair.
Crew:
P/O A. W. I. Jones,
Sgt G. Mackie,
Sgt East,
Sgt Sinclair,
Sgt Strang,
Sgt Barrass,
Sgt Sykes,
Sgt Bennett.
Probable cause:
Failure of the port engines after being damaged by the German Flak.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Wyton

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N6040
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed upon landing at RAF Wyton while engaged in a local training exercise. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew:
P/O S. P. Edgehill +3.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I near RAF Methwold: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1941 at 0130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W7431
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton in the evening of October 20 on an operation to Bremen. While returning to base the following night, it crashed at 0130LT at Catsholm Farm near RAF Methwold. The crew bailed out but one was killed as a result of doing so.
Crew:
Sgt Ronald Lurring Aiken, wireless operator, †
Sgt A. Spriggs,
Sgt De Ville,
Sgt Scott,
Sgt Rigby,
Sgt Cook,
Sgt Bain.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I at RAF Wyton

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1941
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N3667
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton on an operation to Nuremberg. Returned early with defective pitch and fuel mixture controls on the port engines and crashed while trying to land at base. There were no injures.
Crew:
F/L I. R. Ryall,
P/O C. B. Ordish,
Sgt D. Phillips,
Sgt Fisher,
Sgt Howard,
Sgt D. Clarke,
Sgt Surette,
F/O Martin.
Probable cause:
Defective pitch and fuel mixture controls on the port engines.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Mariembourg: 8 killed

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1941 at 2345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N6047
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton in the evening on an operation to Nurnberg. Over Belgium, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Mariembourg, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Harold Mohr-Bell, pilot,
P/O Victor Charles Henry Colbourne, pilot,
Sgt Sidney Bentley, flight engineer,
P/O Thomas Edward Wootton, observer,
Sgt Ivor Llewellyn Evans, wireless operator,
Sgt Bernard William Wareham, wireless operator,
Sgt George Joseph Goodwin, air gunner,
Sgt Frederick Alexander Lamb, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Sep 16, 1941 at 0116 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N6021
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton in the evening of September 15 on an operation to Hamburg. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Hemslingen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Hedley James Allen Dyer, pilot,
P/O Edward John Douglas Guild, pilot,
Sgt Trevor Henry Barton Jones, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Walter Cameron Mackenzie, observer,
Sgt Arthur Needham, wireless operator,
Sgt Alexander Dempsey Wallace, wireless operator,
Sgt Frederick Charles Snead, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Hengelo

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1941 at 0405 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N6045
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wyton - Wyton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wyton in the evening of September 7 on an operation to Berlin. While passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Hengelo. All eight crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Cyril Stanley Aynsley,
Sgt John Edward Dodd,
Sgt Herbert John Dunnett,
Sgt Robert Harper,
Sgt Robert David Hooley,
Sgt William Craig Moir,
F/Lt Richard Patrick Wallace-Tarry,
Sgt Richard Bernard Pape.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.