Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster II in Sint-Katelijne-Waver: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1944 at 0238 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DS734
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Witchford - Witchford
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Witchford at 2151LT on April 24, on a bombing mission to Karlsruhe. On the return trip, while overflying Belgium by night, the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in flames in a field located in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, northeast of Mechelen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (115th Squadron):
P/O Robert R. Cagienard,
F/S Frederic A. Foster,
P/O Joseph M. M. Macleod,
Sgt William Shorten,
P/O Albert C. Letchner,
Sgt Frank D. King,
Sgt Charles P. Kelly.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling in Hamont: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 22, 1943 at 0145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EF366
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Oakington - Oakington
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Oakington at 0007LT on a bombing mission to Krefeld, Germany. While overflying Belgium by night at an altitude of 11,000 feet, the aircraft was intercepted amd shot down by two German fighters. The Stirling lost altitude and the captain attempted to make an emergency landing. On final, the aircraft stalled, hit the ground, went out of control and came to rest in flames on the bank of a canal. The captain and the navigator were killed while all five other occupants were taken PoW.
Crew (7th Squadron):
Bruce Meiklejohn, pilot, †
Charles Redwood, navigator, †
Bill Cole, flight engineer,
Frank Hugo, bomb aimer,
Leslie Ellingham, radio operator,
Jack Kilfoyle, air gunner,
Edgar Brown, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by German fighters.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Hamont: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1943 at 2127 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
ED488
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Following an uneventful bombing mission over Germany, while overflying Belgium by night, the aircraft was attacked by the pilot of a German fighter. The crew decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. The aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near a farm. Four crew members were rescued while three others were killed. According to the RAF, two of them were killed during the attack while the third was killed as his parachute did not open properly.
Crew (50th Squadron):
F/O Al Power, pilot, †
F/O Tom Church, navigator,
Sgt Norman Clark, radio operator,
Sgt R. A. Holland,
Sgt Victor Mitchell, wireless operator,
F/L Jack Bousfield, air gunner, †
Sgt Stanley Beadon, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Bree: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0214 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7301
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Skellingthorpe at 2301LT on May 30 on a bombing mission to Cologne, Germany. Following an uneventful mission, the aircraft returned to its base in England. While overflying Belgium by night, the bomber was shot down by the German Flak. The captain ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft and to bail out. Sole on board, the pilot attempted to make an emergency landing in Bree, some 21 km northwest of Gent. But the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a drainage ditch and was destroyed. While the captain was killed, all six others occupants were unhurt and taken POW.
Crew (50th Squadron):
F/O Leslie Thomas Manser, pilot, †
Sgt Leslie H. Baveystock, pilot,
P/O Richard J. Barnes, radio navigator,
P/O Robert M. Horsley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Stanley E. King, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Allan McF. Mills, air gunner,
Sgt B. W. Naylor, air gunner.
Photos: http://www.ww2crashsiteresearch.com/pagina57.html
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7 Boston IIIA in Raversijde: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
Z2249
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Swanton Morley - Swanton Morley
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While overflying Belgium, the twin engine aircraft was hit by Flak. The captain decided to make an emergency landing and the aircraft belly landed and came to rest in flames in a prairie located in Raversijde, near Ostend. A crew member was killed while both other occupants were injured.
Crew (226th Squadron):
F/O W. A. Keech,
Sgt W. Phillips,
Sgt D. Handford. †
Source & photo: http://www.sbap.be/foreign/foreign01.htm
Probable cause:
Shot down by the Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Tongeren: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1942 at 0238 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7470
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Woolfox Lodge at 0035LT on April 7 on a bombing mission to Essen, Germany. While overflying Belgium by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located in Piringen, some 3 km east of Tongeren. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/Sgt Eric William Noble, pilot,
Sgt Lloyd John Holmes Lincoln, pilot,
Sgt Robert Eastwood Newton, observer,
Sgt Kenneth Leyshon, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Donavan Peter George Kent, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Neville James Patton, air gunner,
Sgt George Henry Walker, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester IA in Lichtaart: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1942 at 2344 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7465
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2045LT on an operation to Essen. While passing over Belgium at night, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Lichtaart, some 12 km southwest of Turnhout. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (83rd Squadron):
P/O Christopher Hugh Danielsen, pilot,
Sgt Paul Markides, pilot,
F/Sgt Albert Woodcock, pilot,
F/O Donald McConachie,
Sgt Thomas Henry Miller, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Colin Clement Smith, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Alan Gordon Jaye, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV near Nieuwpoort: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z1251
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Breighton - Breighton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Breighton at 1934LT on an operation to Dunkirk. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Sint-Joris, east of Nieuwpoort. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Patrick John Denis Cooney, pilot,
Sgt John Sivyer Turnock, pilot,
Sgt Ian Eric Hart, observer,
Sgt George Norman Winter, wireless operator,
Sgt Jack Woodward, wireless operator,
Sgt William Allan Pascoe, air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1941 at 2039 LT
Operator:
Registration:
AE380
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Skellingthorpe at 1757LT on an operation to Ostend. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William John Young, pilot,
Sgt Edward William Armer,
Sgt Douglas Arthur Ferguson,
Sgt Frederick Alexander White.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I off Ostend: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
L9600
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 1712LT on an operation to Cologne. Believed to have crashed into the sea off Ostend, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Sgt Ian Redmayne Bell,
P/O Hubert Donald Buckley,
Sgt Frank Wilson Crocker,
Sgt Gerald Leonard Grigg,
Sgt Robert William George Kent,
Sgt Laurence William Ketteringham,
Sgt Maurice Victor Wakeling.