Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Flight Type:

Landing (descent or approach)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Invergordon - Invergordon

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The float plane was performing a reconnaissance mission from RAF Invergordon to Fornebu (Oslo region). While flying away from Fornebu, the airplane was attacked by the pilot of a German Air Force Messerschmitt Me.110. The pilot lost control of the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in a dense wooded area. At a height of 3,000 feet, a crew member was able to bail out without any parachute. On the crash site, rescue teams found the dead bodies of nine crew while the jumper, a young sergeant, was injured. It appears his chute was absorbed by deep snow on the ground.
Crew (210th Squadron):
F/L Peter W. H. Kite, †
P/O Arthur F. LeMaistre, †
Sgt Jack C. Carpenter, †
Sgt Ogwyn F. George,
Sgt James A. L. Barter, †
LAC Frederic A. Morrison, †
LAC Douglas W. B. Upham, †
AC1 Graham H. Maile, †
AC1 Robert L. Millar, †
AC2 George Eveson. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Sabang

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1940 at 0900 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1101

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Tengah - Tengah

MSN:

8384

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a patrol mission from Tengah, the airplane suffered an engine failure. The crew diverted to Sabang Airfield when the airplane crashed on final approach. All three crew members were injured.
Crew:
LAC E. A. Jones,
Sgt P. H. Brown,
Sgt S. H. Stafford.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Lerwick: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

N9678

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Wick - Wick

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Wick at 1055LT on maritime patrol flight. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea some 30 miles west of Lerwick. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (269th Squadron):
P/O Peter Duncan Aldous, pilot,
Sgt Gilbert Hunter Scott, pilot,
Cpl George A. Verlaque, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC Norman McReynolds.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Meurcourt: 9 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1940 at 0645 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The three engine airplane was engaged in a espionage and surveillance mission of the Luxeuil Airbase. In the early morning, the airplane was shot down by the pilots of five French fighters and crashed in a field located in Meurcourt, some 8 km west of Luxeuil Airfield. All nine occupants were killed. It was reported that the airplane deviated to the west from the Rhein due to unfavarable winds.

Probable cause:

Shot down by French fighters.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Whitley Bay: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1940 at 0421 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

L4054

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Vickers 408 Wellington IA

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 1915LT on April 6 on a maritime patrol flight over the North Sea. While returning, the crew sent SOS messages to the St Mary's lighthouse keeper when the aircraft crashed into the sea about half a mile off Whitley Bay. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Wilfred Roberts, pilot,
P/O Keith Brooke-Taylor, pilot,
Sgt Andrew McNicol, observer,
AC1 Denis William Sharpe, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

The following conclusions were put forward by the RAF:
- The fact that the pilot disregarded the instructions to fly to Acklington would suggest that the aircraft was damaged in such a way as to render a landing hazardous.
- The fact that there were no bombs jettisoned over the sea would indicate that the bomb doors or bomb release gear was damaged.
- The fact that the wireless operator remained with the aircraft leads us to assume he was unable to leave it, being badly wounded or killed. The wireless silence from 2153 hrs supports this theory.
Therefore, the opinion of the RAF was that the hydraulic system of L4054 was so badly damaged that the aircraft could not lower its undercarriage or open the bomb doors. It would have been too dangerous to attempt a belly landing at Acklington and therefore wiser to remain in a known area until daylight and then safely evacuate the aircraft.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

P2524

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Vickers 408 Wellington IA

Schedule:

Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed RAF Lossiemouth at 1115LT on a reconnaissance flight to search for enemy shipping off the Danish coast. En route, the aircraft separated from the main formation (other aircraft from the 9th Squadron) when it was shot down by the pilot of a German Messerschmitt Me.110 and crashed into the North Sea. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew (115th Squadron):
P/O Estelles A. Wickenkamp,
P/O David H. Wardlaw,
Sgt William L. Macdonald,
AC2 Henry G. Ablett,
AC2 Robert C. Peel,
P/O Julian P. Chester-Master.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA into the North Sea: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

N2949

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed RAF Lossiemouth at 1115LT on a reconnaissance flight to search for enemy shipping off the Danish coast. En route, the aircraft separated from the main formation (other aircraft from the 9th Squadron) when it was shot down by the pilot of a German Messerschmitt Me.110 and crashed into the North Sea. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew (115th Squadron):
P/O Roy A. Gayford,
Sgt William F. Nicol,
Sgt Michael F. Murphy,
Sgt Robert J. Moore,
LAC Daniel Armstrong,
AC1 John Moss.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland I off Bergen: 9 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

L5799

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sullom Voe - Sullom Voe

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The float plane departed RAF Sullom Voe (Shetland Islands) at 1030LT on a reconnaissance mission off the Norwegian coast. En route, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German Heinkel He.111 and crashed into the sea off Bergen. SAR operations did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the nine crewmen.
Crew (204th Squadron):
F/L Robert P. A. Harrison,
P/O Ronald F. Hoskins,
LAC Albert F. Roberts,
LAC Dennis S. Lloyd,
AC1 Bernard V. H. Bulmer,
AC1 Charles A. Hughes,
AC1 Leonard J. Fowell,
AC2 Herbert Harrott,
AC2 William H. U. Dolley.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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

Date & Time: Apr 6, 1940 at 0405 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L8740

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type: