Germany | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 0015LT on an operation to Cologne. Approaching the target, it crashed, maybe after being shot down by enemy fire. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Jack Cutmore, pilot,
P/O Ronald Maurice Alexander Lakin, pilot,
Sgt William Ezra Burrell, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Hubert Everard Preston, wireless operator.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-5 in Katterbach

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

8233

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The bomber crashed upon takeoff and collided with an obstacle. All three crew members were injured and the airplane was destroyed.
Crew:
Ofw Heinrich Trabold, pilot,
Oblt Klaus-Dietrich Siems, observer,
Uffz Horst Tünler, mechanic.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Heligoland Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

T1814

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

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The airplane departed RAF Watton at 1028LT to attack a convoy off Heligoland Island. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Leslie William Bacon,
Sgt Alan Chester Bonnett,
P/O Herbert Kitchener Marshall.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Heligoland Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

V5855

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Watton - Watton

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The airplane departed RAF Watton at 1028LT to attack a convoy off Heligoland Island. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt John Dunning, pilot,
Sgt Peter Hope, observer,
Sgt James Harold Bruce, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Berlin

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

T4334

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

1967

YOM:

1940

Location:

Berlin

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2032LT on April 17 on an operation to Berlin. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed north of the capital city. All five crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Leonard Barrows,
Sgt John Ingram Charlton,
Sgt George Alan Hartley,
F/O Edward Gerald Libbey,
Sgt James John McCurdy.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Berlin: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

T4338

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

1971

YOM:

1940

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2026LT on April 17 on an operation to Berlin. Approaching the target at night, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in the vicinity of Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Philip Johnson Church, pilot,
Sgt Edgar Ian Pocock, pilot,
Sgt John Stafford Bools, observer,
Sgt Alfred Francis Tweed, wireless operator,
P/O William Lawton Boon, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Neuwied: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1941 at 2343 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

N2745

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Honington - Honington

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The airplane departed RAF Honington at 2023LT on an operation to Cologne. At 2343LT, the crew indicated he was preparing to bail out the the airplane crashed in Neuwied, 12 km northwest of Koblenz. Two crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Gordon Ernest Heaysman, pilot,
Sgt Grant John Mavor, observer,
Sgt George Charles Balch,
Sgt Benjamin Hanlon,
Sgt Terence Lancaster,
Sgt Stanley Frederick Whitlock.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Papenburg: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1941 at 2240 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6557

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

MSN:

2028

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 2044LT on an operation to Bremen. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Papenburg, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Robert Victor Salway, pilot,
Sgt Victor John Stickland, pilot,
Sgt Norman Frederick Jackson, wireless operator,
Sgt Gerard Llynch, wireless operator,
Sgt Norman Albert Morant, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1439

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

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The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall on an operation to Kiel. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Kiel-Holtenau. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Reginald Cyril Payne, pilot,
Sgt Peter Robert Birch Meynell, pilot,
Sgt Henry William Patten, observer,
F/Sgt Thomas Eric Evans, wireless operator,
Sgt Leonard George Gillam, wireless operator,
Sgt Arthur George Humphries, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Borkum: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L9247

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Oulton - Oulton

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The airplane departed RAF Oulton on an anti-shipping mission. Approaching the German coast, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Borkum. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt James Matthew Anderton, pilot,
F/O Ronald Frederick Tapp, observer,
F/Sgt Ronald Godfrey St. James-Smith, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.