Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Klecken: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1942 at 2308 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3341
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 1953LT on an operation to Lübeck. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Klecken, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O John Allan Weller, pilot,
Sgt William Ballard, pilot,
F/O James Brian Maher, observer,
Sgt Edward Bolton Lawrence, wireless operator,
Sgt Herbert Lloyd Suckling, wireless operator,
Sgt Patrick Wilson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Goch: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 2359 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3589
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Marham at 1953LT on an operation to Essen. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed southeast of Goch. All six crew members were killed.
Crew.
Sgt Emrys Owen, pilot,
Sgt Harry Taylor, pilot,
Sgt Edgar Albert Bailey, observer,
Sgt George Williams, wireless operator,
Sgt James Herbert Watkinson, wireless operator,
P/O Henry Taylor, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0009 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7497
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 airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 2110LT on March 25 on an operation to Essen. After passing the Dutch border, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in a pasture in Wertherburch. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (61st Squadron):
Sgt Christopher George Furby, pilot,
Sgt James Robert Dow, pilot,
Sgt John Eric Smart, observer,
Sgt Donald Charles Brockley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Jack Buckley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Arthur Roberts, air gunner,
Sgt Hugh Henry Fetherston, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 in Kiel

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
140
YOM:
1927
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taxiing at Kiel-Holtenau Airport, the airplane collided with a German Air Force (Luftwaffe) Heinkel He.111 (MSN 1273). The radio operator Fw Dörfeld was injured while both other crew members were unhurt. The airplane was damaged beyond repair while the He.111 returned to service.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Duisburg: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3652
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Feltwell on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Duisburg. A crew was killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Allen Bruce Slater, pilot,
Sgt John Henry Addis, pilot, †
F/Sgt John Douglas Fletcher, navigator,
Sgt Albert Edward Wainwright, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert Gladstone Orr, air gunner,
Sgt Philip L. Burridge, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Duisburg: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X3665
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 1940LT on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Duisburg, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Sgt Peter John Paine, pilot,
F/Sgt Ronald Vernon Snook, pilot,
Sgt Christopher Grant Freeman, observer,
F/Sgt Donald Leslie Ballingall, wireless operator,
Sgt John Valentine Hill, wireless operator,
Sgt David Watson Bond, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z1262
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Hemswell - Hemswell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1952LT on an operation to Essen. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O Witold Stanisław Jarosszyk, pilot,
P/O Zdzisław Retur, pilot,
F/O Cesary Kowal, observer,
P/O Czesław Grycz, wireless operator,
Sgt Antoni Bochaczek, air gunner,
Sgt Mieczysław Golaszewski, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV in Dinslaken: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z1283
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 1950LT on an operation to Essen. While returning to base in the evening, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Dinslaken. All six crew members were killed.
Crew.
Sgt Harold Selby, pilot,
P/O John Nigel Tillard, pilot,
Sgt Maurice Victor Ward, observer,
Sgt Brian Henry Forster, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Barry Martin Smyth Henderson, wireless operator,
Sgt Herbert Leslie Price, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 in Erfurt: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1942 at 1135 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Erfurt
MSN:
0542
YOM:
1928
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in a local training exercise at Erfurt-Bindersleben Airport when it suffered an engine failure and crashed. Two crew members were killed and a third was injured.
Crew:
Hptm Ludwig Schwarz, pilot, †
Fw Friedrich Krell, radio operator, †
Uffz Heinrich Schmidt, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Dornier DO.17Z-3 in Halen: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 18, 1942 at 2213 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
U5+IW
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Achmer - Achmer
MSN:
2864
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Achmer Airfield on a training exercise. While cruising at night, it went out of control and crashed near Halen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Uffz Walter Weihs, pilot,
Gefr Helmut Repper, observer,
Gefr Willibald Woske, radio operator,
Gefr Josef Karner, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Pilot error.