Germany | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 2140LT on an operation to Mannheim. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Planstadt, southwest of Heidelberg. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Allan Frederick McGruer, pilot,
P/O James Paul Erly, observer,
Sgt James Walter Goddard, wireless operator,
Sgt Anthony Leonard Powell Rawlinson, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/mg6e in Langendiebach

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

BJ+YQ

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

3016

YOM:

1941

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The crew was completing a night towing mission when the pilot got blinded by the light installed at the drop point. The airplane crashed near Langendiebach Airfield, bursting into flames. All three crew members were injured.
Crew:
Uffz Eberhard Müller, pilot,
Gefr Alfred Bodnardsky, radio operator,
Gefr Martin Pohl, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Loss of control after the pilot got blinded by light.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88D-1 in Flensburg

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

8L+LK

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

1158

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The airplane suffered an engine failure and crashed near Flensburg. All four crew members were uninjured.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

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

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1941 at 0330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6566

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth – Dishforth

MSN:

2037

YOM:

1941

Location:

Dorweiler

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 2144LT on August 18 on an operation to Cologne. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Dorweiler. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Arthur George Lowe,
Sgt Charles Derek Roberts,
Sgt Donald Alexander Switzer,
Sgt William Birdsall James,
Sgt Harold Roy Jane.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Arzfeld: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1941 at 0230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5457

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

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The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2343LT on August 18 on an operation to Cologne. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Arzfeld. A crew was killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Smith McKinnell, wireless operator, †
Sgt Adrian John Condon,
Sgt Henry George Huckle,
Sgt Adam Learmonth,
Sgt Roy Kenneth Pridham,
Sgt Leslie Stephens.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Oberkrüchten

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7311

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Waddington - Waddington

Location:

Oberkrüchten

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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The airplane departed RAF Waddington in the evening of August 16 on an operation to Düsseldorf. Just after passing the border between the Netherlands and Germany, it was shot down by a German fighter. The captain reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing. The aircraft eventually crash landed in a field and was wrecked. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew (207th Squadron):
Sgt Ernest Gordon Ball,
Sgt John Richard Currie,
Sgt William Hart,
P/O Hugh Gerald Keartland,
Sgt Alexander Ross,
Sgt Alexander Wappett.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Obernheide: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1941 at 0236 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1008

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

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The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2216LT on August 14 on an operation to Hanover. Passing south of Bremen, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Obernheide. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Arthur Page Mitchell, pilot,
Sgt Keith Ernest Smith, pilot,
P/O Ernest Wakefield, observer,
Sgt Alfred Ronald Bell, wireless operator,
Sgt Charles James Matthews, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Keith Francis Lewis, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Sögel: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1941 at 0136 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6877

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

2218

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2210LT on August 14 on an operation to Hanover. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Sögel. A crew was killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Douglas Erle James Hampson, wireless operator, †
P/O Gilbert Wedgewood Cole,
Sgt Allan Warren Hawkes,
Sgt Kenneth Peter Marlow,
Sgt Alex Nicholas.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I in Andervenne: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1941 at 0110 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I

Operator:

Registration:

L9500

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse

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The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 2206LT on August 14 on an operation to Magdeburg. It was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Andervenne. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Michael Gerard Garner, pilot,
P/O Ronald Lisle, pilot,
Sgt Howard Torrens McQuigg, flight engineer,
Sgt Kenneth Randolph Sewell, observer,
F/Sgt John Alfred Arthur Cox, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Johnston Rogers, wireless operator,
Sgt Wallace Llewellyn Berry, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Bremen: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1941 at 0048 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5486

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Driffield - Driffield

Location:

Bremen

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 2140LT on August 14 on an operation to Hanover. Passing over Bremen, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the district of Woltmershausen. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Stephen Herring, pilot,
P/O Jeffrey Drewsen, pilot,
Sgt Denis Edgar Phare, observer,
Sgt Peter John Davey, wireless operator,
Sgt Harold Kay, wireless operator,
Sgt Edward Henry Reels, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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