Royal Air Force - RAF

Flight Type:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

Location:

Essen

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1952LT on an operation to Essen. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/O Witold Stanisław Jarosszyk, pilot,
P/O Zdzisław Retur, pilot,
F/O Cesary Kowal, observer,
P/O Czesław Grycz, wireless operator,
Sgt Antoni Bochaczek, air gunner,
Sgt Mieczysław Golaszewski, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

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

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z1283

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Grimsby - Grimsby

Location:

Dinslaken

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 1950LT on an operation to Essen. While returning to base in the evening, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Dinslaken. All six crew members were killed.
Crew.
Sgt Harold Selby, pilot,
P/O John Nigel Tillard, pilot,
Sgt Maurice Victor Ward, observer,
Sgt Brian Henry Forster, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Barry Martin Smyth Henderson, wireless operator,
Sgt Herbert Leslie Price, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7B Boston III off Le Havre: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z2244

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Attlebridge - Attlebridge

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Attlebridge at 1435LT on an operation to Le Havre. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Kenneth McKerrow Elkins, pilot,
Sgt Rodderick Merrington Porter, observer,
Sgt Leslie John Colls, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Church Fenton: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R3808

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Church Fenton - Church Fenton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot was completing a local night solo training exercise at RAF Church Fenton. On final, the airplane was too low and misaligned with the runway so the pilot initiated a go around procedure. Few minutes later, on a second attempt to land, at a height of about 100 feet, the airplane stalled and crashed near the boundary fence. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was killed.
Crew:
Sgt Edmund Roy Baggott, pilot.

Probable cause:

It was found that a number of twigs were jammed in the starboard aileron and it was presumed that the airplane had probably struck a tree during the first attempt to land.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Cranfield

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

V5798

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cranfield - Cranfield

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The pilot was completing a local training exercise at RAF Cranfield when the airplane crashed for unknown reasons upon landing and was later destroyed after a second RAF Blenheim registered V5932 ran into it. There were no injuries.
Crew:
Sgt H. Ferris, pilot.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Cranfield

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

V5932

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Cranfield - Cranfield

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot was completing a local training exercise at RAF Cranfield. After landing, the airplane ran into a second RAF Blenheim registered V5798 that just crashed earlier. There were no injuries.
Crew:
Sgt K. R. McCorick, pilot.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z7700

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

West Raynham - West Raynham

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF West Raynham at 2140LT on an operation to Soesterberg. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in the North Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/Lt Ernest Martin Bury, pilot,
Sgt John Samuel Beauchamp, observer,
Sgt Thomas Crilly, wireless operator and air gunner.

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

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W8388

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Schedule:

Great Massingham - Great Massingham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Great Massingham at 1440LT on an operation to Le Havre. Hit by the German Flak over the target area, it subsequently crashed upon landing after it diverted to RAF Thorney Island. All three crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt Barker, pilot,
F/Sgt Attwood, observer,
Sgt Hastings, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Attacked by the German Flak.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7 Boston III at RAF Tangmere: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

AL268

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: