Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-3 on Venøya Island: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F6+DH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Stavanger - Stavanger
MSN:
5640
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Stavanger-Sola on a reconnaissance mission. While cruising in poor visibility due to fog, the aircraft impacted the slope of a mountain located on Venøya Island. All four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Dornier DO.26AV2 off Ballangen

Date & Time: May 9, 1940 at 1710 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P5+BH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bergen – Narvik
MSN:
792
YOM:
1938
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Bergen to Narvik, the float plane was attacked by three RAF Blackburn Skua. The captain attempted to ditch the airplane that crashed off Ballangen. All 23 occupants were rescued and became PoW. The aircraft was lost.
Crew:
Oblt Siegfried Graf Schack von Wittenau, pilot,
Hptm Joachim Fehling, observer,
Ofw Wilhelm Küpper, radio operator,
Uffz Herbert Peukert, chief,
Uffz Hans Brettschneider, chief.
Probable cause:
Shot down by RAF Skua.

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

Date & Time: May 9, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L9482
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Hatston - Hatston
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Hatston at 1620LT to bomb the harbor of Bergen. Approaching the target, the airplane was shot down by Flak and crashed in the harbor. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Alick C. Heath, pilot,
Sgt Stanley A. Nicholls, observer,
Lt Robin B. Nuthall.
Probable cause:
Shot down by Flak.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I off Stavanger: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1940 at 0823 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N7278
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wick - Wick
MSN:
414-1674
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Wick on a bombing mission over Stavanger-Sola Airport. Approaching the target, it was shot down by the pilot of a German Me.109 and crashed about 10 km offshore. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
LAC George Welsh,
Sgt George Kelly,
Sgt Kenneth Bell,
P/O Alfred Henry Hayter.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Stavanger: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P9213
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 aircraft departed RAF Feltwell at 1735LT on April 30 to bomb Stavanger. While approaching the Norwegian coast, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed into the sea, killing all six crew members.
Crew (37th Squadron):
S/L Ridley Lewkenor Bradford,
P/O James Douglas Morrison,
Sgt Basil Elles Sharp Knowles,
LAC Philip Andrew Tyler,
Sgt James Thomas Bowen,
LAC Eric William Burnett.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA off Stavanger: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P9215
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Feltwell at 1740LT on April 30 to bomb Stavanger. While approaching the Norwegian coast, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed into the sea, killing all five crew members.
Crew (37th Squadron):
F/O Gerald Victor Gordon,
P/O Talbot Kerr,
Sgt Walter Eddleston,
LAC William Edward Brewster,
AC2 William Aubrey Seymour.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1940 at 0105 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1421
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Kinloss - Kinloss
MSN:
1575
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Kinloss at 2000LT on 29APR with Oslo-Fornebu Airport as its target. While approaching Oslo by night, the aircraft was shot down by Flak. Four crew members abandoned the aircraft and bailed out. They were later recovered and taken PoW. The aircraft then crashed in flames in a wooded area located on the top of a mountain near Sylling, some 27 km west of Oslo, killing the fifth crew member.
Crew (102nd Squadron):
F/O K. H. P. Murphy,
Sgt J. F. Graham,
Sgt C. Warner,
Cpl D. Magee,
LAC John Ellwood. †

Thanks to Bent Julenissen Lønrusten for his following testimony:
My great aunt watched the burning plane go down. I have been to the crashe site several times and based on the pieces of fuselage left is was damaged hard by flak. Pictures taken of the wreck on the crashe site the day after the crash show a plane damaged by flak. Based on the reports the DY-C was hit by flak during the bombing of Fornebu. The flak was hard. Four crew members jumped from the wounded plane. Two over Asker and two over Sylling. Murphy and Graham came to a farm and told the story of the crash, they where later taken prisoner and sent to Germany. I talked to one of the farm members and based on the story told by FO Murphy, John Ellwood was killed by flak over Oslo, the plane was burning and over Sylling the engines stopped. A big explosion was heard just before the plane came down from NW and crashed onto the ridge named Brennenga. Witnesses told that it crashed at 0105LT. The wristwatch of LAC Ellwod had stopped at this time. Based on his wounds he was killed instantly, and blood in the front of the plane showed that he was not in his rear turret, but most likely helping out the stop the fire. John Ellwood was found outside the plane. And uncle of mine spoke to FO Murphy on his visit to Ellwoods grave in 1949. Murphy said the same. Flak damage and fire forced the plane to crash.

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

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N6202
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth
MSN:
9301
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lossiemouth to bomb the Stavanger-Sola Airport. Approaching the target, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
LAC John Rosemond,
Sgt Frank James Robert Beavis,
Sgt Ronald Abbott.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Stavanger: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 30, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L9242
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lossiemouth to bomb the Stavanger-Sola Airport. Approaching the target, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Me.109 and crashed. A crew member bailed out and became PoW while both other occupants were killed.
Crew:
S/L K. C. Doran, pilot,
Sgt Reginald Henry John Batterick, observer, †
P/O Frederick Maurice Norman Searle. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-3 near Lake Heilstuguvatnet: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 27, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1H+CT
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Aalborg - Aalborg
MSN:
3178
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Aalborg Airport on a bombing mission to Romsdalfjord. En route, the airplane was attacked by the pilot of an RAF Blackburn Skua. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed near Heilstuguvatnet Lake. A crewman was killed and three others were injured and became PoW.
Crew:
Lt Horst Schopis, pilot,
Fwb Karl-Heinz Strunk,
Uffz Hans Hauck, †
Uffz Josef Author.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an RAF fighter.