Libya | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed El Adem at 2315LT on a flight to Buerat. Few minutes after takeoff, one of the engine failed. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a desert area located 11 km north of El Adem. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all six crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt J. F. R. Morrison,
P/O R. Salmon,
P/O La Brish,
Sgt Clay,
Sgt D. Griffin,
Sgt James.

Probable cause:

Engine failure after takeoff.

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

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7915

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Luqa - Luqa

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Luqa to attack convoy of trucks on the Libyan coast. Approaching the target area, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Roy Frederick Joseph Henley, pilot,
Sgt Harold Frederick Dolland Parsons, observer,
Sgt Desmond Philip D'Arcy, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Lockheed 18-08 LodeStar in Tobruk

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 18 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGCZ

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Heliopolis - Tobruk

MSN:

2023

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane crashed for unknown reasons upon landing at Tobruk Airfield. There were no injuries.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 near Benghazi: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

7T+LL

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

3583

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

The airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Benghazi. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw Heinrich Trubold, pilot,
Lt Hermann Meyer, observer,
Uffz Otto Fladung, radio operator,
Uffz Herbert Breuer, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Tripoli: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z9804

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Luqa - Luqa

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Luqa on an operation over Libya. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed west of Tripoli. A crew was killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Francis Henry William Keene, pilot,
Sgt Charles Theodore Small, observer,
Sgt Jack Pickup, wireless operator. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-4 near Benghazi

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

8572

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crash landed near Benghazi. There were no casualties among the crew.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Benghazi

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1941 at 2230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z8798

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

LG.09 - LG.09

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed LG.09 (Bir Koriayim) on an operation to Benghazi. It failed to return to base and crashed some 80 km east of Benghazi. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Gavin Matthew Goldfinch,
P/O George Edmund Guthrie,
P/O John Mcguire Taylor,
Sgt Laurence Sidney Barker,
Sgt Charles Joseph Bourner,
Sgt Harry Rose.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I near Tawīlat al Ghazālah: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1941 at 0200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 130 Bombay

Operator:

Registration:

L5847

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Skydiving / Paratroopers

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Heliopolis - Heliopolis

MSN:

SH.40

YOM:

1939

Location:

Tawīlat al Ghazālah

Nuqat al Khams (النقاط الخمس)

Country:

Libya

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Heliopolis to drop paratroopers over Tmimi. While flying between Tmimi and Gazala, it was shot down by enemy fire, entered a dive and crashed near Tawīlat al Ghazālah. Seven crew members became PoW while Sgt Pott was killed. About two weeks later, P/O Martin and AC1 Humphries died from injuries sustained.
Crew (216th Squadron):
Sgt John Henry Pott, †
P/O Donald Sunman Martin, pilot, †
AC1 William Humphries, †
W/O R. P. Head,
LAC R. W. Gowing,
F/S Charlie E. West +2.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing B-17C Flying Fortress in Libya

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

AN529

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Shallufa - Shallufa

MSN:

2066

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Shallufa to attack ships in the Benghazi harbor. Following a successful mission, the crew was returning to base when the aircraft ran out of fuel. After the engines n°1, 2 and 3 failed, the captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in a desert area located 128 km west of Fort Maddalena. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all eight crew members escaped uninjured and were later rescued by a ground unit.
Crew (220th Squadron):
Jimmy Stevenson, pilot,
Ken Brailsford, pilot,
Dick Parnell,
Tony Barwood,
Tom Gwynn,
Ken Waddle,
Bill Struthers,
Colin Barber.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Saurga: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 25, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7704

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Luqa - Luqa

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Luqa on an operation over the coast of North Africa. While attacking a target, it crashed in unknown circumstances in a desert area located 20 miles east of Saurga. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt William Taylor Shaver, pilot,
Sgt Arnold Stanier, observer,
Sgt Gordon Louis Wincott, wireless operator.