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Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston III at RAF Debden

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 1615 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
W8360
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Debden - Debden
Location:
Debden AFB
Essex
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After touchdown at RAF Debden, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and crashed into the perimeter fence, bursting into flames. All three crew members escaped uninjured while the airplane was destroyed by fire.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV in Mijdrecht

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 424 Wellington IV
Operator:
Registration:
Z1203
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Location:
Mijdrecht
Utrecht
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 2128LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. It was hit by the German Flak and while returning to base the following night, it ran out of fuel, probably due to a holed fuel tank. All six crew members bailed out and became PoW. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed in Mijdrecht.
Crew:
P/O J. H. Hall, pilot,
F/Sgt L. H. Houghton, pilot,
F/Sgt J. E. Harritt, navigator,
F/Sgt A. R. Tidder, wireless operator,
Sgt G. P. Wadsworth, wireless operator,
Sgt E. J. Pettitt, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC into the North Sea: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0209 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
X9913
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Location:
North Sea
All World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 1945LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. Over the North Sea, it was shot down by the German Marine Flak and crashed into the sea, maybe off the Danish coast. Lost without trace.
Crew:
P/O Gordon James Maygothling, pilot,
Sgt Francis John Cassells, pilot,
P/O Leo Joseph Convey, observer,
Sgt Frank Graham Bower, wireless operator,
P/O Richard James Cussen, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Ronald Arthur Walker, air gunner,
LAC Robert Frank Rendell, special equipment operator,
P/O Basil Elgar Percy Sadler, special equipment operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Benz

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0137 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 406 Wellington II
Operator:
Registration:
W5567
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Lindholme - Lindholme
Location:
Benz
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lindholme at 2123LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. Approaching the target area from the north at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the airplane was shot down by the German Flak. All six crew members bailed out and became PoW. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed in Benz, some 40 km north of Lübeck.
Crew:
Sgt Franciszek Wasinski, pilot,
F/O Jerzy Leon Antoni Jungowski, pilot,
F/O Kazimierz Pawluk, observer,
Sgt Marian Jan Skubiszewski, wireless operator,
Sgt Czesław Jan Krupa, air gunner,
Sgt Józef Michał Krawiecki, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV in Lübeck: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0124 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 424 Wellington IV
Operator:
Registration:
Z1274
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Location:
Lübeck
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 2139LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed on the Cambrai Kaserne. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt George Thomas Leather, pilot,
Sgt Wilfred Clarence Picher, pilot,
Sgt Gerald Patrick Murray, observer,
Sgt Hugh James McHutchinson, wireless operator,
Sgt Horace James Whale, wireless operator,
Sgt Kenneth William Smith, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Heligoland Island: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0107 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 416 Wellington IC
Operator:
Registration:
R1061
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds
Location:
Heligoland Island
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 2055LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. Approaching the German coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and is believed to have crashed in the sea somewhere off Heligoland Island. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Edward Ward, pilot,
Sgt Erskine Peter Wright, pilot,
Sgt John Robert Dodd,
Sgt Hugh Ian Fraser,
Sgt Andrew Albert Sidney Harris, wireless operator,
F/O Bertram John Fyson, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Klausdorf: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0104 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 679 Manchester
Operator:
Registration:
R5781
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Scampton – Scampton
Location:
Klausdorf
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 1930LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. After passing over Kiel, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Klausdorf, less than 6 km southeast of Kiel. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Theodore Arthur Lumb, pilot,
Sgt Patrick Charles Walsh, pilot,
Sgt Sydney Thomas Woodbridge, observer,
Sgt John Edward Burcher, wireless operator,
Sgt James Rooney, wireless operator,
Sgt William Lawrence Cox, air gunner,
Sgt Edward Thomas, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Wilhelmshaven: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3477
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Location:
Wilhelmshaven
Lower Saxony
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 2000LT on March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. It was intercepted and shot down by a Me.110 and crash landed on a sandy area located north of Wilhelmshaven, bursting into flames. Two crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Kenneth Edward Hobson, pilot, †
F/Sgt Joseph Clarence Albert Marcotte, pilot,
F/Sgt Arnold Leo Flesch, observer, †
Sgt K. H. Paul, wireless operator,
F/Sgt S. J. Bailey, wireless operator,
P/O W. E. Broderick, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III in Kiel: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942 at 0024 LT
Type of aircraft:
Vickers 417 Wellington III
Operator:
Registration:
X3462
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Feltwell - Feltwell
Location:
Kiel
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Feltwell in the evening of March 28 on an operation to Lübeck. Passing over Kiel, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed at Johannesstrasse 9. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Maurice Perrott Bell, pilot,
Sgt Franklyn Bertram Cran, pilot,
Sgt Claude Joseph Harris, navigator,
Sgt Ronald Gilliam Allen, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Richard Cross, air gunner,
Sgt James William Hinton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Anholt Island

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden
Operator:
Registration:
AE246
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Location:
Anholt Island
Midtjylland
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Waddington on an operation to Lübeck. Approaching the target area, it was hit by the German Flak and the crew elected to divert to Sweden. Eventually, the pilot was forced to ditch the airplane in the Kattegat off the Anholt Island. All four crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
S/L George Roger Tench,
Sgt Kenneth Thompson Hyde,
F/Sgt Henry Thorne,
Sgt Felix Augustine Durnan.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
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