Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Bircham Newton for convoy escort duties. While cruising along the shore in poor weather conditions, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Harwich. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Robert Lawson Patterson,
Sgt Lawrence Hugh Murrell Reece,
Sgt Ronald Yeaman Tucker.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111D off Saint-Samson: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1G+??

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Saint-Samson. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw Hermann Schulze, pilot,
Oblt Walter Buss, observer,
Obrst Bernhard Georgi,
Ofw Ernst Möller, radio operator,
Uffz Hans Goltz, mechanic,
Gefr Kurt Frinzel, air gunner.

Crash of a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero in Benghazi

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero

Operator:

Registration:

MM60399

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Benghazi - Gondar

MSN:

19052

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At Benghazi Airport, the pilot aborted the takeoff procedure for unknown reasons. The airplane lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no injuries.

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

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

R3665

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Thorney Island - Thorney Island

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Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Rottingdean while completing a sortie from RAF Thorney Island. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Henry Alan Clark, pilot,
Sgt David Douglas Morton, observer,
Sgt Frank Clayton, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 in Ligny-Thilloy: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1940 at 1800 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

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On the return leg following a mission over Portsmouth, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the pilots of RAF Hurricanes and crashed in flames in a field located in Ligny-Thilloy, south of Bapaume. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Helmut Grunwald,
Uffz Fridolin Hogg,
Obergefr Herbert Köster,
Uffz Günther Mende.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a RAF fighter.

Crash of a Martin B-10B near Somerset: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-10 (Model 139 & 166)

Operator:

Registration:

35-233

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

648

YOM:

1935

Location:

Somerset

Pennsylvania

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

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One of the engine failed in flight, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crashed in hilly terrain located about 26 km southwest of Somerset, killing the crew.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I at RAF Silloth

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

K8818

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

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Following a wrong approach configuration, the crew landed on a closed runway portion. The twin engine aircraft hit several obstacles, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. While the crew was unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration and poor flight preparation on part of the crew.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Llanwrthwl: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1940 at 2330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

N5019

Flight Phase:

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While flying at night in poor weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Y Gamrhiw located near Llanwrthwl, Wales. Four occupants were killed while a passenger was injured.
Crew (15th OTU):
AC2 Thomas Colvin Watson, pilot, †
Sgt Christopher Joseph Dent, observer, †
Sgt Arthur Williams, wireless operator, †
Sgt Hugh Hannan, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt A. C. Smith.

Probable cause:

The board of inquiry determined that the cause of the accident was attributed to a navigation error following wrong information transmitted by ground observer.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland I off Orkneys Islands: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1940 at 1447 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

N6133

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

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The float plane was shot down by the pilot of a Me.110 and crashed into the North Sea off Orkney Islands. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt John Derek Middleton,
P/O David Marwood Harry,
P/O James Seeds,
Sgt Joseph Henry Lane,
Sgt Laurie Edgar Worthington
LAC Ronald Harry Frank Hammond,
LAC John Frederick Hindle,
LAC Melville John Ernest Jarvis,
AC1 John Buchanan Belderson,
AC1 Peter Clark.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I at RAF Waddington

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1940 at 1145 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P4393

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

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The airplane crashed upon landing at RAF Waddington following a ferry flight, bursting into flames. The Hampden had recently undergone repairs and it is believed that the elevator controls were wrongly connected. The pilot evacuated safely and the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
F/S J. F. Clayton.