Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1940LT on an operation to Essen. While returning to base in the late evening, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in the Waddenzee east of Den Helder. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Bogumil Zelazinski, pilot,
P/O Bolesław Uszolewicz, pilot,
F/O Franciszek Jakukowski, observer,
Sgt Kwiecinski, wireless operator,
Sgt Teofil Niemeczek, air gunner,
Sgt Wladysław Stachurski, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near RAF Abingdon: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 1630 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE139

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Stoke Orchard - Abingdon

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Following a raid on Rennes, the crew made a stop at RAF Stoke Orchard before returning to RAF Abingdon. On final approach to RAF Abingdon, the airplane crashed near Wooton, north of the airfield. Three crew members were killed and a fourth was injured.
Crew:
Sgt George Alfred Medd, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Henri Phalempin, observer, †
P/O Dalton Eastman Vipond, †
Sgt E. V. Conwell.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I near Warden: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0210 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

R5831

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

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The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 2040LT on March 25 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it collided with the cable of a barrage balloon and crashed near Warden, on the Isle of Sheppey. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Evan Moffat Price, pilot,
F/Sgt Robert Charles Snowball, pilot,
W/O Peter Richard Thompson, observer,
F/Sgt Matthew Cameron Roberts, wireless operator,
Sgt Joshua Arnold Devalle, wireless operator,
Sgt Harry George Samuel Garnham, air gunner,
Sgt Samuel Block, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Collision with the cable of a barrage balloon.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Barmouth

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

N6074

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Oakington - Oakington

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The airplane departed RAF Oakington at 1911LT on March 25 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While returning to base the following night, it ran shot of fuel and ditched at 0200Lt in the Barmouth Bay off Barmouth, Gwynedd. At the time of the accident the bomber was many miles west of track and shortly before going into the sea, four crew members bailed out. By good fortune, no one was hurt. The Stirling was later salvaged and taken to RAF Llanbedr.
Crew:
S/L H. L. Legh-Smith,
Sgt Bird,
Sgt Fenton,
Sgt Cooper,
Sgt Bentham,
Sgt Williams,
Sgt Hudson.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Vlieland Island: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0033 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AT151

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Skellingthorpe - Skellingthorpe

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The airplane departed RAF Skellingthorpe at 1940LT on an operation to Essen. Approaching the Dutch coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Vlieland Island. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Howard Phillips Roblin, pilot,
Sgt Eric Alexander Gordon Lumsden, observer,
Sgt Robert Dudley Howarth, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt John Davidson Beattie, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester IA in Warmenhuizen: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0032 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7518

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge

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The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 2045LT on March 25 on an operation to Essen. Passing over the Netherlands at night, the bomber was shot down by a Me.110 and crash landed in a pasture in Warmenhuizen, some 10 km northwest of Alkmaar, bursting into flames. Five crew members were killed and two others became PoW.
Crew (61st Squadron):
P/O John Ralph Hubbard, pilot, †
P/O Alastair William Buchan, pilot, †
P/O Robert Heggie, observer, †
Sgt John George Clelland, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Albert Wallace Baker, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt P. Jones,
Sgt T. C. Stanley.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester IA in Wertherbruch: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0009 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7497

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge

Location:

Wertherbruch

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 2110LT on March 25 on an operation to Essen. After passing the Dutch border, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in a pasture in Wertherburch. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (61st Squadron):
Sgt Christopher George Furby, pilot,
Sgt James Robert Dow, pilot,
Sgt John Eric Smart, observer,
Sgt Donald Charles Brockley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Jack Buckley, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Arthur Roberts, air gunner,
Sgt Hugh Henry Fetherston, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Orford Ness

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0005 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1393

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds

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The crew departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 2027LT on March 25 on an operation to Essen. Over the target area, it was hit by the German Flak, which holed petrol tanks and rendered the airplane's hydraulic system unserviceable. Shortly after midnight, while approaching the British coast, the crew ditched the airplane some five miles off Orford Ness on the Suffolk coast. All six crew members were rescued and the airplane was lost.
Crew:
Sgt G. O. John,
Sgt A. Talky,
Sgt C. S. Campbell,
Sgt S. Albiston,
Sgt T. K. Wright,
Sgt G. Thompson.

Probable cause:

Hit by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942 at 0005 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Operator:

Registration:

Z1321

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Grimsby - Grimsby

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The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 2026LT on March 25 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Vlaardingen, west of Rotterdam. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt David John White, pilot,
F/Sgt William Melville Pipher, pilot,
F/Sgt Andrew Lennox, navigator,
Sgt Eric Charles Groves, wireless operator,
Sgt Alfred Jelly, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Harry Joseph Barrie, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 417 Wellington III near Duisburg: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 417 Wellington III

Operator:

Registration:

X3652

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

Location:

Duisburg

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Feltwell on an operation to Essen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed near Duisburg. A crew was killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Allen Bruce Slater, pilot,
Sgt John Henry Addis, pilot, †
F/Sgt John Douglas Fletcher, navigator,
Sgt Albert Edward Wainwright, wireless operator,
Sgt Albert Gladstone Orr, air gunner,
Sgt Philip L. Burridge, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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