Date & Time: Jan 2, 1941 at 1802 LT
Type of aircraft:
Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley
Operator:
Registration:
T4227
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
MSN:
1900
YOM:
1940
Location:
Withernsea
East Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1641LT on an operation to Bremen. Less than two hours into the flight, it was shot down by the pilot of a JU.88 and crashed into the sea some 50 km east of Withernsea. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Desmond Christian Frederick Coutts,
Sgt Kenneth Harold Smith,
Sgt Norman Stephenson,
Sgt James Kennedy,
Sgt Thomas Fraser Behan.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.