Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

The aircraft took off from base at 0940LT on a patrol duty on convoy. About 40 minutes into the flight, the starboard engine became very rough and the propeller was feathered. The Aircraft was losing altitude, bombs were dropped but height could not be maintained. As the aircraft was below the altitude of some hills, the captain landed on the water in Locker Bay. The the captain instructed the radio operator to try to contact base, but upon turning on the master switch, fire broke out in the cabin, forcing all personnel to leave the aircraft. The crew paddle ashore in the dinghy where they were found by some fishermen from Wellington who took them to town. The airplane was later towed to shore but was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
F/O D. G. J. Maltby, pilot,
P/O P. Hutchinson, copilot,
P/O D. W. Morrisson, navigator,
P/O F. S. Johnston, radio operator,
Sgt G. F. Davidson, air gunner,
Sgt A. C. Collville, air gunner.

Shortly after takeoff from Ambon-Laha Airport, while climbing, the airplane stalled and crashed into the sea few hundred metres offshore. Three crew members were killed and a fourth was injured.
Crew (13th Squadron):
F/O John Turnbull, pilot, †
F/O Robert Kelvin Allen, †
Sgt Walter John Lay, †
Sgt B. E. Hack.

The airplane was returning to base at Ucluelet following a patrol operation with only one engine operating. As it could not maintain height, it crashed in a dense wooded area located half a mile south of the airbase, bursting into flames. Four crew members were killed and four others were slightly injured.
Crew:
F/O Robert Jamieson Gray, pilot, †
Sgt Martin Neil McKay, copilot, †
P/O Albert Cecil Scruton, navigator, †
Cpl Willard John Zenkie, radio operator, †
Cpl G. Atkinson, radio operator,
Sgt L. A. Davies, wireless operator,
Sgt A. G. Gordon, wireless operator,
Sgt F. A. Rogers, air gunner.

The twin engine airplane departed Gander Airport at 0840LT on an authorized operational flight (anti-submarine patrol flight) east of Newfoundland. The airplane failed to return to base and no visual or radio contact was made with it from time of takeoff. An extensive search was made for the missing airplane and crew but no trace of either was found.
Crew:
F/O James William Paul Skidmore, pilot,
P/O Kenneth George Schaefer, copilot,
P/O Albert William Runte, navigator,
Cpl Cecil George Heeney, wireless operator,
LAC John Sydney Legon, air gunner,
F/Sgt Arthur Chapman, air gunner.

The airplane departed Hickam AFB on a maritime patrol flight with a crew of 10 on board, looking for the Japanese invasion fleet which was expected after the December 7th attack. Just after their inbound turn the navigator discovered that there were some inconsistencies with their ‘known’ position and his estimated position. This pattern was repeating itself each time he took a sextant sighting. After reporting this to the pilot, he began a step by step check of all contributing factors and found the problem was the aircraft compass. It had not been recalibrated after the 0.50 caliber machine gun had been installed nearby. Therefore the compass was not reliable. The crew asked for a radio and heading check with Pearl Harbor. The heading they received was mixed up with another aircraft thus heading the B-17E out to sea - not to land. With no land in sight, it was getting dark and they were low on fuel. The pilot began a controlled ditching in the open sea about midnight, forty miles south of Kauai Island. With the nose up, the aircraft hit the water; the tail section up to just aft of the wings broke off and drifted away. Water came rushing into the compartments and everyone got out as best they could. In the water, they found only two 2-man rafts had deployed and were upside down. The other expected rafts did not launch when the aircraft hit the water. While clinging to the rafts, they began a crew count. One crew member was missing. It was dark and hard to see anything. Climbing onto the upside down rafts, they began calling for him. They heard a faint voice in the distance and began to move in that direction. They found the crew man riding, cowboy style, on the tail section, in front of the vertical stabilizer bruised but unhurt. Now they were all together, cold, wet, a long way from base, and a long night ahead. After three days and nights afloat, they were located by a PBY-5 Catalina which landed in heavy seas to rescue them, damaging the hull in the swell. Returning to Pearl Harbor, because of the damage to the PBY hull during the water landing, the PBY had to make a high speed run and fly up the sea plane ramp. The pilots nosed the PBY up the ramp and it skidded across the tarmac, came to a halt and slowly rocked onto one wing float. There were a lot of people waiting for them - Army, Navy, Medics. The nine crew were back at Pearl and on the way to the hospital. The crew killed was U/N Earl J. Cooper.
Source: www.joebaugher.com

The floatplane departed Singapore-Seletar Airport on a maritime patrol flight. About 300 km off Singapore, it was attacked and shot down by a Japanese fighter and crash landed into the sea, bursting into flames. All nine crew members were rescued the following morning and returned to Seletar. The airplane sank and was lost.
Crew:
F/Lt R. A. Atkinson,
P/O S. E. Scales,
P/O D. B. Babineau,
Sgt T. D. Morris,
Sgt P. Smith,
Cpl J. A. D. Wyant,
LAC D. Ballard,
Sgt R. Borchers,
P/O Heath.

The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 2257LT on a maritime patrol flight. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
S/L Cecil Rhys Davies,
Sgt Arthur George Gooch,
F/Lt Joseph Herbert Higgleton,
Sgt Tom Ford Houldsworth,
Sgt Jack Roberts.

Following a maritime patrol flight, the floatplane was returning to base at RAF Pembroke Dock when it crashed upon landing at night for unknown reasons. Six crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Crew:
P/O Anthony George William Debonnaire, †
F/Sgt James Soutar Gray, †
F/O Vladimir Victor Havlicek, †
F/Sgt George Edwin Jones, †
F/Sgt Frederick Rees Lewis, †
Sgt Stanley Lockett, †
P/O K. A. W. Paterson,
Sgt W. H. Westby,
Sgt K. B. Murphy,
Sgt G. Missett.

The floatplane departed RAF Mount Batten on a maritime patrol flight with a crew of 15 on board. Shortly after liftoff, while climbing, it went out of control and crashed into the sea some 200 yards offshore. Eleven crew members were killed and four others were rescued.
Crew:
F/Lt David James Fletcher, pilot, †
AC1 Kenneth William Bennett, †
AC1 Robert Cunningham, †
LAC James Wallace Douglas, †
LAC John Burnett Hides, †
Cpl John Humphrey Martin, †
F/Sgt Herbert Frederick Mitchell, air gunner, †
AC2 James Robinson, †
Sgt Herbert Leslie Southall, †
LAC John Hay Wallace, †
AC2 William Watson, †
Sgt G. F. H. Booth,
P/O W. W. Ince,
Sgt H. S. Lodge,
Sgt A. Penny.

The airplane departed Whenuapai Airport on a maritime patrol flight. While cruising at a height of 1,500 feet, the pilot-in-command initiated a left turn when the airplane stalled and crashed on a hill side near Helensville. The airplane was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Eric Holdaway,
Sgt George Eatorne,
Sgt Eric Eldershaw.