Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew left RAF Bishops Court for a night training exercise. While flying over the north of Wales by night and marginal weather conditions, the aircraft hit the east slope of Mt Mynydd Perfedd and was destroyed. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (7th AOS):
Sgt John George Shepherd, pilot,
Sgt Edwin John Keightley, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC John Chrystal, navigator,
LAC John Thomas Key, navigator.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by a navigational error as the aircraft was more than 30 km away from its initial track at the time of the accident.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Blackden Edge: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

HR727

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Snaith - Snaith

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Circumstances:

The crew, stationed at Snaith in Yorkshire were taking part in a raid against the German city of Frankfurt. The outward leg proceeded normally until shortly after they had released their bomb load over the target area. The aircraft was illuminated by a searchlight and engaged by flak and a night fighter sustaining hits to the port inner engine setting it alight and the No.2 fuel tank. The pilot took evasive action by corkscrewing the aircraft from 19,000 feet to 9,000 feet successfully evading further contact. As well as the fuel loss from the damage to one of the tanks, the loss of the port inner engine meant that some functions were also lost. Most could be carried out entirely manually but the engines generator provided power to the aircraft's batteries that powered the mid-upper turret, beam approach radio equipment and the R1154 / T1155 radio. These would work only as long as the charge remained in the batteries. The aircraft passed its turning points as far as Reading, shortly after the radio failed as the batteries had been drained. The weather at this point had deteriorated with low cloud and rain, effectively removing any chance of seeing landmarks such as rivers which would aid in locating Snaith, or another airfield. Eventually the pilot began to descend through the cloud to be able to find landmarks but while still in cloud, and virtually out of fuel, the aircraft flew into the ground on Blackden Edge. The aircraft broke up over a fairly wide area, most of the crew who died were killed in the crash but the Sergeant Lane survived the crash but was severely injured and died before help, summoned by Sgt Mack, arrived the following day.
Crew (51st Squadron):
Sgt Ernest Hatfield Fenning, pilot, †
W/O Jean Gilbert Felix Fortin, navigator, †
Sgt Eric George Lane, flight engineer, †
Sgt Victor Garland, bomb aimer,
Sgt Frank Allan Squibbs, wireless operator, †
Sgt Boris Karl Short, air gunner, †
Sgt James B. Mack, air gunner.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistricthr727.htm

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak and a German nigh fighter as well.

Crash of a North American B-25 Mitchell off Bannerman Town

Date & Time: Oct 4, 1943

Type of aircraft:

North American B-25 Mitchell

Operator:

Registration:

FR384

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

82-5778

YOM:

1941

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Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Bannerman Town, South Eleuthera. All five crew members were rescued.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Silchester

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

L4617

Flight Phase:

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The crew was completing a supply mission when flying at a too low altitude, the twin engine aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were injured.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder in Protville

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

FK128

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

7393

YOM:

1941

Location:

Protville

Ariana Governorate (ولاية أريانة‎)

Country:

Tunisia

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a maritime patrol flight over the Mediterranean Sea when the aircraft was attacked by enemy fire. The captain decided to return to his base in Tunisia but was eventually forced to attempt an emergency landing in Protville. While all occupants were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Reggio de Calabre

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

L4661

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The crew was forced to complete an emergency landing for unknown reason. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, both occupants were unhurt.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off RAF Millom: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

N9718

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Millom - Millom

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During a training flight, the twin-engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Irish sea off RAF Millom. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (2nd AFU):
Sgt D. S. W. Deane, pilot,
P/O L. S. Gibson, flight engineer,
Sgt D. Clayton, wireless operator,
Sgt W. Dowling, wireless operator,
Sgt W. B. Bain, navigator.

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

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1943 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

JM710

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Bathurst - Bathurst

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a night training sortie out of Bathurst, Gambia. On approach, while completing a last turn to the left, the seaplane stalled and crashed in a huge explosion into the sea. All nine crewmen were killed.
Crew (208th Squadron):
F/O J. G. Finney, pilot,
F/O S. B. Cuthbert, copilot,
F/Sgt R. G. Craig, flight engineer,
Sgt R. D. Britton, navigator,
Sgt G. Weston, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt B. S. Evans, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt E. C. Hobbins, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt H. Revell, fitter and air gunner,
F/Sgt R. B. Billows, air gunner.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident is obscure. The aircraft crashed whilst turning on its circuit prior to landing. A possible cause was that the Pilot with not much night flying experience returned to RAF Bathurst whilst the weather conditions were not ideal, and the aircraft stalled in its turn. It was thought that the pilot was about to make his run up the flare path to set the gyro, as is normal practice, and stalled in the turn.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator into the Gulf of Bengal: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

FL939

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

207

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

While on a maritime patrol flight over the Bay of Bengal, the four-engine aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter and was lost at sea. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew (160th Squadron):
W/O J. Cohen, pilot,
F/O T. R. Pallet, copilot,
F/Sgt F. Somerville, navigator,
Sgt F. Bless, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt A. J. N. Owen, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt H. Isey, wireless operator and air gunner,
W/O L. A. Munson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt F. E. Naylor, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Saint-Georges-d’Espéranche: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

JN904

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Lissett - Lissett

Location:

Saint-Georges-d’Espéranche

Isère

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew left RAF Lissett, East Yorkshire, on a bombing mission to Italy. While overflying the east part of France by night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a wooded area located 14 km east of Vienna. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew (158th Squadron):
Sgt E. Le Huray,
Sgt H. Pennell,
Sgt F. G. Shaw,
Sgt T. A. Roberts,
Sgt C. A. Budd,
Sgt A. V. M. Barron,
Sgt V. G. E. Briant.

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