Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester in RAF Wigsley

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1943 at 1850 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7294
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wigsley - Wigsley
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Wigsley at 1645LT for a cross country exercise. Less than two hours later, an engine caught fire and the captain decided to return to his base. On final approach, the aircraft on fire stalled and crashed in a field short of runway. While all seven crew members were injured, the aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Crew (1654 HCU):
Sgt William Hedley Eager,
Sgt T. D. Viggers,
Sgt H. T. Petts,
Sgt T. H. James,
Sgt F. R. Stone,
Sgt G. E. Hunnington,
Sgt A. Jones.
Probable cause:
Engine fire.

Crash of a Blackburn B-26 Botha I in RAF Hooton Park

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L6266
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hooton Park - Hooton Park
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Hooton Park in the day for a cross country training sortie. En route, an engine failed, forcing the crew to return to his base. The approach was tricky and the aircraft landed long. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overshot the runway, lost its undercarriage and slid for several yards before coming to rest. While all four crew members were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Newhaven: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1943 at 0555 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
DF611
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Seighford - Seighford
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Seighford at 0450LT on a training exercise. One hour into the flight, a loss of power on one or more engine forced the captain to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft landed in a prairie in Newhaven but after touchdown, the aircraft hit successively a hedge and a wall before coming to rest in flames. Three crew members were killed while two others were seriously injured.
Crew (30th OTU):
Sgt Ronald Albert Jones, pilot,
Sgt John Scott Spencer, navigator,
Sgt Gilbert Kenneth Parsons, bomb aimer,
F/Sgt J. Douglas, air gunner,
F/Sgt R. J. Perrin, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Loss of power on one or more engine.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford in Melton Mowbray: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1943 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AB665
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
In unknown circumstances, the twin engine aircraft collided with a RAF Avro 683 Lancaster I registered L7545 and carrying a crew of seven. Both aircraft crashed in a field located two miles southeast of Melton Mowbray, killing all nine crew members on both aircraft.
Crew:
Sgt A. A. Moors,
Sgt Lemmerick.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I in Melton Mowbray: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1943 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7545
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wigsley - Wigsley
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Wigsley at 1745LT on a night training sortie. Half an hour later, the bomber collided with a RAF Airspeed AS.10 Oxford registered AB665 and carrying a crew of two. Following the collision, both aircraft crashed in a field located two miles southeast of Melton Mowbray. All nine crew members on both aircraft were killed.
Crew (1654 HCU):
Sgt George Frederick M. Walker,
Sgt R. F. Davison 5.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Keswick: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1943 at 1640 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
EG361
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Jurby - Jurby
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
On 8th April 1943 the crew of this aircraft were undertaking a cross country navigation training flight and took off from Jurby on the Isle of Man at 1419LT. Because of poor weather and low cloud the crew became lost. It was thought that the aircraft was flying much further south than the crew believed they were. Instead of being over low ground to the west of Carlisle they were actually they were flying some twelve miles south of their assumed position which was over cloud-covered high ground. At 1640LT the crew attempted to obtain their position by transmitting a message to their base but nothing else was heard from the aircraft. Possible strong up and down air currents were thought to have affected the control of the aircraft and it descended over high ground it had crashed. The aircraft failed to return to base and was recorded as missing. The wreckage was spotted two days later on 10th April 1943 and it had crashed to the west of Bassenthwaite Lake, in the area of Lord Seat. At 2145LT a rescue party were dispatched the crash site arriving at around 2300LT. It was thought at the time that four members of the five man crew had died instantly as a result of the crash. One member of the crew was found alive but suffering from serious injuries and by this stage also suffering from exposure. A team brought him down from the crash site and he was admitted to the Mary Hewetson Cottage Hospital in Keswick. Sadly his injuries were so severe that he died there on 11th April 1943.
Crew (2nd AFU):
Sgt Harold Motby, pilot,
P/O Maurice Herbert Finbow, navigator,
P/O Robert Alexander Duff, navigator,
Sgt James Cooney, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Frederick Marshall, wireless operator and air gunner.
Source: http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/eg361.html
Probable cause:
Possible strong up and down air currents were thought to have affected the control of the aircraft and it descended over high ground it had crashed.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster I off Texel: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943 at 0021 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W4894
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Warboys - Warboys
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF Warboys on April 3rd on a bombing mission to Essen, Germany. While returning to its base following an uneventful mission and while overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed into the Lake Wadden, ten miles east of Texel. All seven crew were killed. Few debris of the aircraft were found in 1989.
Crew (156th Squadron):
F/Sgt Reginald Anderson Byass, pilot,
Sgt G. R. Minns, flight engineer,
F/O Gregory James Black, observer,
Sgt Norman Ray Thurecht, bomb aimer,
Sgt Russell Seymour Trigwell, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt D. L. Robertson, air gunner,
Sgt S. E. Crooks, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura into the North Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AJ169
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Methwold - Methwold
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Methwold at 1800LT to attack the docks at Rotterdam. While approaching the Dutch coast, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the North Sea some 40 miles off shore. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (464th Squadron):
Sgt A. L. Lush, pilot,
W/O W. W. Collens, navigator,
F/Sgt E. W. Cole, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt D. F. Fulford, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I at RAF Wigsley

Date & Time: Apr 4, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7291
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On touchdown, the aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in flames. As all seven crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III off Saint Ives: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1943 at 1840 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AE519
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Davidstow Moor - Davidstow Moor
MSN:
414-3874
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft left RAF Davidstow Moor at 1455LT to find a dinghy spotted off Guernsey Island. En route, the crew was informed that weather conditions were deteriorating and that he should divert to Exeter Airport. While flying along the north shore of Cornwall, the aircraft crashed into the Carbis Bay, one mile off Saint Ives. Four crew members were killed while the captain was seriously injured. He died from his injuries a day later.
Crew (279th Squadron):
F/O Edward George Gibbs, pilot,
W/O Harry Robert Bacon,
F/Sgt Lindsay Vaughan Fletcher,
W/O Robert Michael Long,
W/O Edwin Pearce Povey.