Royal Air Force - RAF

The aircraft left RAF Wymeswold, Leicestershire, at 1919LT on January 29. While cruising in poor visibility due to night and marginal weather conditions, the aircraft crashed in a pasture located in Birchen Bank Moss. Three crew members were killed while two others were injured.
Crew (28th OTU):
F/O Anthony Winter Lane, pilot,
P/O Charles Douglas Brown, bomb aimer,
P/O Charles Leslie Grisdale, navigator,
Sgt Raymond Gerard Rouse, air gunner,
Sgt Miller, wireless operator and air gunner.

The crew left RAF Waddington on a bombing mission to Hamburg. Following an uneventful mission, the crew was returning to his base when his was instructed by ground to divert to RAF Leeming. Later, the aircraft run out of fuel and crashed at Hawnby Hill, near Northallerton. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
W/O Frank Goheen Nelson, pilot,
Sgt Allan McKeen, flight engineer,
Sgt George Francis Done, navigator,
Sgt Alan Arthur Frederick Williams, navigator,
Sgt Henry Summers Jones, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Arthur William Butcher, air gunner,
Sgt Walter George Murton, air gunner.

On final approach to RAF Talbenny, the pilot lost control of the aircraft as a result of an engine's explosion. The aircraft came down in a field few miles short of runway threshold. Eight occupants were seriously injured while eleven others were killed.

The aircraft left RAF Croft at 1651LT on a bombing mission to Lorient. While returning to his base by night, the crew encountered poor visibility. The bomber hit the slope of Mt Kinder Scout located northwest of Edale and was destroyed by impact forces. All six crew members were injured.
Crew (427th Squadron):
F/Lt Carroll Alfred Taylor, pilot,
Sgt Lyndon George Southwood, copilot,
P/O Donald Mortimer, bomb aimer,
P/O George Albert Martin, navigator,
Sgt Anthony David Deane, wireless operator,
Sgt William Lumsden, air gunner.

The crew of the aircraft had been on an operational patrol, carrying out a parallel track search, from Bowmore of the sea area RU58, having taken off at 0724LT. The sea state at Bowmore was not ideal that day and it was expected that after dark it would be too rough to land aircraft. The original ETA back at Bowmore for DV979 had been 1810LT which being just before last light and it was decided by Flying Control not to divert the crew to Lough Erne in Northern Ireland. At 1700LT the situation was reviewed and the flare path was laid in the calmest area of water available should the aircraft arrive a little late. Shortly after the crew made contact with Bowmore stating that they would be 50 minutes late, at this point they were told that if they had sufficient fuel they were to divert to Lough Erne. However at the time the aircraft was contacted they only had some 45 minutes fuel remaining and were unable to divert. At 1926LT, over a hour late and in near complete darkness, DV979 arrived back overhead at Bowmore. The flare path was ignited and Capt Lever was told that he could not overshoot his landing as the landing area finished close to where other aircraft were moored. He then warned his crew to expect a rough landing and gathered them in the upper deck around the cockpit.After gathering the crew Capt Lever and P/O Johnston began their approach overland from the north, intending to cross the northern shore of Loch Indaal at 200 feet and touch down as soon as possible. While approaching the coast the port float struck a building near the shore and the aircraft crashed a short distance beyond it. A fire quickly took hold and the crew began to evacuate the aircraft, at least nine had survived the crash. Captain Lever was spotted by Sgt Hogg wandering on the shore ahead of the aircraft and he called to Sgt Williams that they should go and get him. As the two Sergeants reached their Captain, about 30 yards away, the aircraft's Depth Charges detonated destroying the aircraft and killing outright the men who were still around the wreck to help pull trapped colleagues from the aircraft.
Crew (246th Squadron):
Cpt Eric John Lever, pilot,
P/O Wallace Arthur Johnston, pilot, †
Sgt Walter Eric Charles Heath, navigator, †
Sgt George Charles Major, bomb aimer, †
Sgt George Hogg, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Roy John Jabour, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Ernest Geoff Palmer,wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Henry John Tasker, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt George Cyril Phillips, air gunner, †
Sgt John Ivor Williams, flight mechanic,
Sgt William Simpson, flight mechanic, †
Sgt Douglas Howarth, flight engineer. †
Source & photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/scotland/scotlanddv979.htm

The aircraft left RAF Wigsley at 1458LT on a training sortie. Twelve minutes later, the left engine caught fire and exploded. The pilot completed an emergency landing in a field located in Saxilby and was damaged beyond repair. All seven crew members were unhurt.

The twin engine aircraft left RAF Feltwell at 1220LT to attack the airport of Cherbourg-Maupertus with five other similar aircraft. After an uneventful mission, the aircraft was returning to its base when it crashed in unknown circumstances into The Channel, killing all four crew members.
Crew (464th Squadron):
Sgt N. E. Powell, pilot,
Sgt P. A. Nodes, navigator,
Sgt J, Dunne, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt S. J. Newton, air gunner.

The crew had taken off from their base at Snaith near Selby to drop two mines (an A.108 and B.200 type) into the sea in the 'Nectarines' area of the North Sea, this was around the Frisian Islands. The crew had been briefed to fly from base to the Mablethorpe on the Lincolnshire coast before setting course direct for the Frisian Is. and then returning via the same route. On returning they over-shot their base and continued westwards. The aircraft eventually struck a drystone wall on the edge of Hoar Side Moor and slid to a halt where it burned out.
Crew (51st Squadron):
P/O Richard Donovan Getliffe, pilot,
P/O Edward Burt Chatfield, pilot,
Sgt Alexander Campbell, flight engineer,
Sgt Allan Campbell, air bomber, †
Sgt George Hugh Whyte, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt John James Merritt, air gunner,
Sgt Reginald Ernest Smart, air gunner.
Source and photo:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/pennines/penninesdt581.htm

Having failed to find a missing Short Sunderland, which had ditched in the sea west of the isle of Ushant off the north-west French coast, the pilot found that conditions were so poor on his return to base that it was impossible to land. In the end, he headed for the South Wales coast and over Swansea, ordered the crew to bail out once it was reached, all did so successfully. The aircraft continued for about 100 km until it ran out of fuel and crashed into Warren Hill, near Beguildy. The aircraft was destroyed while all four crew members were unhurt. Crew (279th Squadron).
Source: http://www.cpat.org.uk/resource/reports/cpat1249.pdf

While performing a training sortie from RAF Feltwell, the twin engine aircraft hit tree tops, crashed and disintegrated in a field near West Stow. Two crew members were killed while the navigator was seriously injured. For unknown reason, the pilot was flying at an insufficient altitude and did not detect the trees.
Crew (487th Squadron):
Sgt Gerald John Abrey, pilot, †
Sgt H. Aldridge, navigator,
F/O Frederick Douglas Drake, wireless operator and air gunner. †