Royal Air Force - RAF

The aircraft left RAF Swinderby at 0916LT on a navigation training sortie. While cruising at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the right engine caught fire. The captain decided to divert to RAF Waddington to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed and came to rest. All seven crew members (1660 OCU) were unhurt.

The aircraft left RAF Bottesford at 1914LT on February 13 on a bombing mission over Milan. On the return leg to RAF Langar, while overflying France, crew noticed that all four engines' temperature was too high. Shortly later, the engine number one fired and exploded. The crew decided to abandon the aircraft but only two crew bailed out and survived while five other occupants were killed when the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located in Saint Brisson, west of Saulieu.
Crew (207th Squadron):
F/Sgt John H. F. Whyte, pilot,
F/Sgt Stanley H. Eyre, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Thomas William Strong, observer, †
Sgt Frank Ivan Tillen, navigator, †
Ft/Sgt Athol Richard Grainger, †
Sgt Henry George Bone, †
Sgt Kenneth White. †

While performing a night training mission from RAF Hixon, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Foel Grach, southeast of Bangor, north of Wales. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (30th OTU):
Sgt Edward Gerrard Frezell, pilot,
P/O Frederick Keith Thorogood, navigator,
Sgt Cecil Gordon Bennett, bomb aimer,
Sgt George Newton Rafferty, wireless operator,
Sgt Edwin Towler, air gunner.

The crew of this Wellington christened 'A for Apple' took off from RAF Croft at 1726LT for what is believed to have been a mine laying operational flight. Aircraft from various squadrons were mine laying the waters around The Frisians and Helgoland on this night. Other modern accounts quote Le Havre as being a land target for bombs but this is believed to not be correct. The accident record card for this incident; the Form Am1180, makes no mention of what the target was hence the confusion. The crew dropped their cargo and headed for home but were hit by flak. Before they could land at base the aircraft flew across the North Yorkshire Moors, the Moors were covered in a thick band of cloud at the time and the crew became uncertain of their position on their return to Yorkshire; they had probably flown off course by a few degrees. They descended to try and work out their location but struck high ground east of Chop Gate on Black Intake Moor at 2300LT and all on the aircraft lost their lives in the crash which completely destroyed the aircraft.
Crew (427th Squadron):
Sgt Oscar Philip Edwin Ronald J. Adlam, pilot,
F/O Bryan Dunn, navigator,
Sgt William Charles Ivor Jelley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Arnold Charles Clifford, bombardier,
Sgt William Ball, air gunner.
Source:
http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/43/bj778.html

The crew was engaged in a gunnery exercise from RAF Fulbeck. En route, while cruising at an altitude of 1,200 feet, the starboard engine failed. As the captain was unable to maintain a safe altitude and could not return to his base, he decided to attempt an emergency landing in Fishtoft Drove, north of Boston. The aircraft came to rest in a field and was damaged beyond repair while all six crew members were unhurt.

The twin engine aircraft left RAF West Raynham on a bombing mission to Roosendaal. While approaching the target, the aircraft was shot down by the German Flak. All four crew members were able to bail out while the aircraft crashed in a field and was destroyed. Two crew were killed while two others were injured and taken PoW.
Crew:
Sgt W. E.Burns, †
Sgt W. A. Brown, †
Sgt C. A. Mcnair,
Sgt D. J. Searle.

On final approach to Gander Airport, following a flight from England, the aircraft stalled and crashed 10 miles from the airfield. Two passengers were seriously injured while 19 other occupants were killed.

The crew was engaged in a training mission out of RAF Millom. En route, in unknown circumstances, the twin engine aircraft crashed into the sea off the airbase. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (2nd AFU):
Sgt Arthur Page,
Sgt Thompson,
F/Sgt Harry Smith,
Sgt James Thomas.

The aircraft left RAF Syerston at 1810LT on a bombing mission over Torino. While approaching Lyon, two engines failed. The captain reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing in Valsonne, 30 km northwest of Lyon. By night and in low visibility, the aircraft hit the ground and crashed. Four crew members were killed while four others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Crew (106th Squadron):
Sgt D. L. Thompson, pilot,
Sgt Norman Burt Johnstone, flight engineer,
F/S Frank Lawrence Darlington, navigator,
F/O George Roland Powell, bombardier,
Sgt Wilfrid Eric Baker, radio operator,
Sgt R. P. Sutton, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt J. Picken, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt P. Ward, bombardier.

The aircraft left RAF Scampton at 1803LT on February 4 on a bombing mission over Turin. While approaching the Alps by night and very poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the Belleface face located in the massif of La Pointe de La Terrasse, near Bourg-Saint-Maurice. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was located few months later in an mountainous and isolated area.
Crew (57th Squadron):
F/O Alistair Frank Gray Ritch, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Cosford, flight engineer,
Sg Denis George Busby, navigator,
Sgt Eric Atkins, navigator,
Sgt Douglas McNeill, radio operator,
Sgt Eric Norman Perkins, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Ronald Shears, wireless operator and air gunner.