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Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Buurse: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1943 at 0125 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE281
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
Location:
Buurse
Overijssel
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Dishforth in the evening of May 23 on a bombing mission over Dortmund. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in a field. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (426th Squadron):
Sgt L. G. Sutherland 4.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 440 Wellington X in Buurse: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1943 at 0108 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 440 Wellington X
Operator:
Registration:
HE290
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kirmington - Kirmington
Location:
Buurse
Overijssel
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Kirmington in the evening of May 23 on a bombing mission over Dortmund. While cruising at an altitude of 5,000 metres over The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in flames in a field located in Buurse, south of Enschede. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (166th Squadron):
Sgt J. R. Stewart 4.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24A-CO Liberator II in Gibraltar

Date & Time: May 23, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
AM911
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
2
YOM:
1940
Location:
Gibraltar
All United Kingdom
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the take off roll, the aircraft went out of control and came to rest near the runway end. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
An engine caught fire and a landing gear failed during the take off run, just prior to rotation.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford in Waterhouses: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 21, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
R6271
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Ashbourne - Ashbourne
Location:
Waterhouses
Staffordshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Ashbourne for a short test flight with one pilot and two passengers on board. En route, while cruising at a very low height, the twin engine aircraft hit power cables and crashed onto a small hill. All three occupants were killed.
Crew (42nd OTU):
F/O Archibald Douglas Vincent Forsyth, pilot.
Passengers:
Cpl Harry Garnet Sylvester,
LAC Harry Charles Halestrap.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in RAF Winthorpe

Date & Time: May 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
L7297
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Winthorpe - Winthorpe
Location:
Winthorpe AFB
Nottinghamshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the take off run, one of the engine failed. Pilots applied brakes but the aircraft did not decelerate as expected. So the captain decided to retract the landing gear. The aircraft skidded on its belly for several yards before coming to rest. While all occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster in Hamm: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED910
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Location:
Hamm
North Rhine-Westphalia
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Lister Dam located in the region of Dortmund. While overflying Germany by night, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in the Boselagerschen Forest. Six crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
P/O W. H. T. Ottley, †
Sgt R. Marsden, †
F/O J. K. Barrett, †
Sgt J. Guterman, †
F/Sgt L. Johnston, †
Sgt F. Tees,
Sgt H. Strange. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson IA in Tadcaster: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 1125 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
EG269
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Jurby - Jurby
Location:
Tadcaster
North Yorkshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a training sortie from RAF Jurby, Isle of Man. En route, the twin engine hit telegraph wires and flew into the ground some one mile north of Tadcaster. All five crewmen were killed.
Crew (5th AOS):
P/O Harry Rhodes, pilot,
Sgt George Ervin Bleier, observer and navigator,
LAC Peter Geoffrey Wilson, observer and navigator,
Sgt Percy Annetts, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Gerald Henry Charles Watkins, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Castricum: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 0258 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED877
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Location:
Castricum
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Möhne Dam located east of Dortmund. Following an uneventful mission and while overflying The Netherlands by night to return to its base, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in flames in a field. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
S/L H. M. Young,
Sgt R. Horsfall,
Sgt C. W. Roberts,
Sgt L. Nichols,
F/O V. S. Macausland,
Sgt A. G. Yeo,
Sgt L. Ibbotson.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Netterden: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 0236 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED937
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Location:
Netterden
Gelderland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Möhne Dam located east of Dortmund. Following an uneventful mission and while returning to its base, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in a field located in Netterden, at the border with Germany. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
S/L Henry Eric Maudslay, pilot,
Sgt J. Marriott, flight engineer,
F/O R. A. Urquhart, navigator,
W/O A. P. Cottam, wireless operator,
P/O M. J. D. Fuller, bomb aimer,
F/O W. J. Tytherleigh, air gunner,
Sgt N. R. Burrows, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Rijen: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1943 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
ED865
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Location:
Rijen
North Brabant
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Scampton in the evening of May 16 to attack the Sorpe Dam located southeast of Dortmund. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in flames in a field. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (617th Squadron):
P/O Lewis Johnstone Burpee, pilot,
Sgt Guy Pegler, flight engineer,
Sgt Thomas Jaye, navigator,
F/Sgt James Lamb Arthur, air bomber,
P/O Leonard George Weller, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Charles Arthur Long, air gunner,
W/O Joseph Gordon Brady, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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