Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I into the Malacca Strait

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L1131
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tengah - Tengah
MSN:
8414
YOM:
1938
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Tengah on a maritime patrol flight. En route, an engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the airplane into the Malacca Strait, some 130 km west of Penang. All three crew members were rescued.
Crew:
F/O C. H. Boxall, pilot,
Sgt L. Podger, observer,
LAC W. W. Martin, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111J off Samsø Island

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1940 at 0930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
M7+CH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
5094
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
An engine caught fire in flight, forcing the crew to ditch the airplane off Samsø Island. All four occupants were rescued while the airplane sank and was lost.
Crew:
Obltn Werner Beck,
Fw Heinrich Baasch,
Fw Georg Juchelko +1.
Probable cause:
Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Watton

Date & Time: Mar 31, 1940 at 0906 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P6887
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Watton - Watton
MSN:
9412
YOM:
1939
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During initial climb out from RAF Watton, the airplane impacted a tree located past the runway end, stalled and crashed, one minute after takeoff. All three crew members were rescued, among them one was injured.
Crew:
S/L G. A. M. Pryde,
Sgt Jennings,
AC1 O'Connor.

Crash of a Dornier DO.17Z-2 off Ameland Island: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 31, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
5M+M?
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Münster - Münster
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in a meteorological reconnaissance mission when it crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea off Ameland Island. All four occupants were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Gerhard Hertel, pilot,
Uffz Helmut Biester, radio operator,
Uffz Franz Jahn, mechanic.
Passenger:
Dr. Joseph Wille.

Crash of a Dornier DO.17Z in Selent: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1940 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
2681
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Selent. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and all four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Obltn Ernst Euler,
Obltn Karl-August Oesterhelweg,
Uffz Karl Meinehausen,
Ogefr Willy Kopmann.

Crash of a Dornier DO.18D2 into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1940 at 1430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
M2+GK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
721
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While on a reconnaissance mission, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea some 280 km northwest of Hörnum. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew:
Fw Wilhelm Harms,
Lt Karl-Friedrich Bölk,
Fk Werner Lenzen,
Uffz Kasimir Niezgotka.
Probable cause:
It is possible that the aircraft has been shot down by an RAF Blackburn Skua.

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

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1940 at 0530 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1357
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Driffield at 2305LT on March 27 on a reconnaissance mission over Germany. During the back trip to UK, the bomber strayed into the Dutch airspace and was shot down by the pilot of a Dutch fighter before crashing in flames in Pernis, southwest of Rotterdam. A crew member was killed while all four other occupants were rescued. It is possible the that Sgt Miller have fallen from the airplane just seconds prior to the final impact.
Crew (77th Squadron):
F/O T. J. Geach,
F/O W. P. Copinger,
Sgt J. E. Miller, †
LAC S. H. E. Caplin,
AC2 R. B. Barrie.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Dutch fighter.

Crash of a Dornier DO.18G into the North Sea

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
8L+GK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
862
YOM:
1939
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following an engine failure in flight, the crew was forced to ditch the airplane. Both occupants were rescued and the aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew:
Obltn Elmer Blanke,
Lt Hans-Harald Ipach.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

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

Date & Time: Mar 28, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
N1351
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Driffield - Driffield
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a reconnaissance mission over Germany and left RAF Driffield at 2240LT on March 27. While flying over the region of Prüm, the aircraft was hit by Flak and crashed in an open field located in Gerolstein, some 18 km northeast of Prüm. A crew member was killed while all four other occupants were taken POW.
Crew (77th Squadron):
F/O J. B. J. Boardman,
P/O G. L. Norman, †
Sgt W. R. Taylor,
LAC J. Masters,
AC1 W. Cowle.
Probable cause:
Shot down by Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Blåvands Huk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 27, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L8747
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Wattisham in order to obtain photographs from the recent bombing of Hörnum on the island of Sylt. In unclear circumstances, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Blåvands Huk. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt David William Gibb Nichols, pilot,
Sgt George Herbert Stiles, observer,
LAC Jack Brian Roberts, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.