Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Caernarfon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 4, 1943 at 1135 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EG278
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising at its assigned altitude, the twin engine aircraft broke in mid air and crashed in a farmland located in Caernarfon. All four occupants, two pilots and two ATC cadets, were killed.
Crew (9th AFU):
P/O Laurence A. Walker, pilot,
Sgt James Winchester, wireless operator.
Passengers:
Geoffrey A. Stapleton,
Geoffrey Foulkes.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator V into the Bay of Biscay: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
FL959
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
157
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Shot down by the pilot of a German fighter (JU.88) over the Bay of Biscay, while on a patrol flight. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator V into the Bay of Biscay

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
FL938
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
154
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shot down by the pilot of a German fighter (JU.88) over the Bay of Biscay. The captain was able to ditch the aircraft and all occupants were rescued while the aircraft sank.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Cairngarroch: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1943 at 2200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N5032
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Wigtown - Wigtown
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew were on a night navigation exercise from RAF Wigtown, they were returning to their base but overshot on a northerly heading and flew into high ground to the North of Newton Stewart at around 22:00. After it failed to return to Wigtown the aircraft was declared overdue. At 00:30 on the 2nd September the station's Medical Officer was informed and he assembled a search party. They met with the local Police in Newton Stewart to begin searching at first light. The search teams located the crash site at 12:30, by that time Sgt Crosby had, despite head injuries and a broken bone in his right foot, been able to make his own way off the hill, arriving at Craigencallie.
Crew (1st AFU):
Sgt Ronald Hunter McArthur, pilot,
Sgt Manning, navigator,
Sgt Crosby, wireless operator,
Sgt Sidney Arthur Bussey, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Jack Arthur Coombes, wireless operator and air gunner. †
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/scotland/scotlandn5032.htm

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in RAF Halfpenny Green

Date & Time: Aug 31, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K8731
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown, the twin engine aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest against trees. All four occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The Crew was returning to RAF Halfpenny Green following a supply mission.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I near Dent: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1943 at 1500 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DF471
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Leeming – Ford
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to his base in RAF Ford after the three mechanics performed some repairs on an aircraft that previously diverted to RAF Leeming. En route, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and low visibility when the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Great Coum located 3 miles south of Dent. All four crew members were killed. Crew from the 427th Squadron.

Crash of a Blackburn B-26 Botha I near Bethesda: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L6202
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Hooton Park - Hooton Park
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While performing a training sortie from RAF Hooton Park, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located seven miles south of Bethesda. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (11th RS):
Sgt George Markham Heppinstall, pilot,
Sgt William Frearson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Douglas Owen Hargreaves, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Wendelin Bernard Bettin, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Poole: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1943 at 0435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
FP287
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Poole - Poole
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew was completing a night training sortie from Poole. After a waiting period of 25 minutes, the pilot completed a first flare. During a second flare, the aircraft took off in foggy conditions before hitting the water off Poole and sank. Eight crew members were killed while four others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew (210th Squadron):
F/O P. R. Duff, †
F/O W. A. Hobson, †
P/O D. O. Ahmed,
Sgt J. S. Garnett,
F/Sgt R. E. Rasmussen, †
F/O M. D. Cohen, †
Sgt R. J. Kington,
Sgt W. Eley,
Sgt A. B. Allen, †
Sgt M. M. Doyle, †
Sgt F. Frogson, †
Sgt G. Harper. †

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

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
FK239
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Colombo - Colombo
MSN:
209
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Lost without trace in the Bay of Bengal, off the Andaman Islands, while on a maritime patrol flight. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I ont Mt Foel-fras

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1943 at 1025 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N5371
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Llandwrog - Llandwrog
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew where on a daytime navigation training flight from Llandwrog near Caernarvon, during the the return leg from Shrewsbury while in cloud, and shortly before 10:30 am, the pilot saw a sheep go by beneath him. He pulled the control yoke back in an instinctive effort to climb and successfully stalled the aircraft onto the rising ground but struck a large rock which spun the aircraft so it ended up facing downhill. Fortunately for the crew the fuselage remained intact, this was shown in a photograph published in 'Legend of Llandwrog', but the wing that hit the rock was destroyed, this is shown in 'No Landing Place' on page 41. After the crash the crew were able to transmit a wireless message to Llandwrog to report that they had crashed, using the Direction Finding equipment at the airfield the Flying Control Officer was able to estimate its position somewhere in the vicinity of Tal y Fan. However before a better fix could be made the remaining life in the aircraft's battery was exhausted, though the crew were advised to fire a red flare every half hour to aid the Mountain Rescue crew who departed base at 11:00. They drove their vehicles up the track from Rowen that runs around the southern side of Tal y Fan. However this track became narrow with overhanging trees and large boulders which caused some trouble for the team. Two flares were seen from towards Llyn Dulyn, but these had been fired by an 'Army Battle Unit' who were training in the area. They were also brought into the search and after only a short time reported sighting a crashed aircraft high up on Foel Fras. The Mountain Rescue Service then proceeded up the Dulyn valley and when they reached farm at Tan y Bwlch spotted a lift raft and the five crew with the aircraft. The crash site was reached at 15:00 and the crew were quickly evacuated from the site and were taken back to the Station Sick Quarters for medical assessment.
Crew (9th AFU):
Sgt Arthur Bickerdike, pilot,
P/O Oswald Ian Hamilton Stoeckel, navigator,
Sgt Laurence Tommie, wireless operator,
Sgt G. Martin, navigator 1.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/wales/walesn5371.htm