Crash of a Junkers JU.88D-1 on Mt Møsnuken: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1942 at 1435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A6+EH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Stavanger - Stavanger
MSN:
1049
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Stavanger-Sola Airport on a SAR operation over the Atlantic Ocean after a JU.88 registered A6+OH was missing since the previous day. Following an unsuccessful mission, the crew returned to Stavanger but decided to make a pass over Bergen. In limited visibility due to poor weather conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Møsnuken located northwest of Osøyro, some 20 km southeast of Bergen. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Friedrich Buczko, pilot,
Oblt Werner Gustav Schräpler,
Lt Theodor Hitzlberger,
Uffz Paul Gerninghaus.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Filfla Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z9822
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Luqa on a maritime patrol operation along the Libyan coast. While returning to base at the end of the afternoon, the airplane was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea off Filfla Island. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O James Gavin Caldwell Grieve, pilot,
P/O Cyril John Rowley, observer,
Sgt Ronald Rolfe Hall, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Filfla Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z7308
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Luqa on a maritime patrol operation along the Libyan coast. While returning to base at the end of the afternoon, the airplane was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea off Filfla Island. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L Russell Redway Stewart, pilot,
P/O David John Morris, observer,
P/O Richard Eric Smaridge, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Filfla Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
Z9725
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Luqa - Luqa
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Luqa on a maritime patrol operation along the Libyan coast. While returning to base at the end of the afternoon, the airplane was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea off Filfla Island. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Gordon Russell Cameron, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Desmond Fletcher, observer,
Sgt George Hancock, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AM876
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wick - Wick
MSN:
414-2958
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Wick Airport at 1133LT on a maritime patrol flight along the Norwegian coast. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Lt David Frank Walker, pilot,
P/O John Thomas Watterson Kelly, observer,
Sgt Douglas Leonard Bennett, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Birtwhistle, air gunner.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland off Donegal: 12 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W3977
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Enniskillen - Enniskillen
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The floatplane departed Enniskillen on a maritime patrol flight. In unknown circumstances, it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Donegal. The wreckage was found but no trace of the 12 crew members.
Crew (201st Squadron):
F/Lt Francis Wilfred Smith,
P/O John Percival Bartlett,
F/O Rodney Wyben Smith,
F/O Henry Kitchin,
F/Sgt Harold Stanislaus Mason,
F/Sgt Norman Clare,
F/Sgt John Frederick Charles Smith,
Sgt Arnold Alfred Rolfe,
Sgt Hugh Jones,
Sgt Kenneth Charles Nutt,
Sgt Gordon Walter Eric Jacobson,
LAC Eric Hopkinson.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V on Ushant Island

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
P5050
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Saint Eval - Saint Eval
MSN:
1762
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF St Eval on a night patrol mission off Brest. It was shot down by enemy fire and crash landed on the north part of the Ushant Island. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew:
S/L Norman Scott Ferguson,
Sgt James Frederick Barnes,
Sgt Thomas Ratcliffe Calder,
Sgt Bert Clark Gillespie,
Sgt Garfield Stacey Harris,
Sgt Max Fred Sikal.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I in Newfoundland

Date & Time: Jan 28, 1942 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
768
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Saint John's - Saint John's
MSN:
414-1752
YOM:
1940
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
837
Captain / Total hours on type:
837.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
291
Copilot / Total hours on type:
230
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed St John's (Torbay) Airport on a maritime patrol flight with a crew of four on board. While returning to base, the crew encountered bad weather when one of the engine failed after the carburetor got iced. The pilot made a wheels up landing in dead timber in East Newfoundland. All four crew members were rescued in February and transferred to local hospital in good condition. The airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
F/Lt A. S. Pilcher, pilot,
Sgt H. A. Wishart, copilot,
Sgt H. F. Taylor, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt L. A. McGregor, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure cause by icing conditions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Grumman G-21A Goose in Kupang: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
PK-AFS
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kupang - Kupang
MSN:
1081
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew departed Kupang-Penfui Airport to proceed with an aerial inspection of the area of Kupang to check the evacuation of the civilians because of the impending Japanese invasion. The floatplane was shot down by a Japanese fighter and crashed in an open field, killing the entire crew.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Dornier DO.24K-1 in Fort Menari: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 24, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
X-19
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
779
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Upon landing, the floatplane collided with a dike and crashed. Three crew members were killed and three others were seriously injured.
Probable cause:
According to Dutch authorities, the pilots thought to splash down on a lake while they put their machine on flooded fields.