Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1810LT on January 15 on an operation to Hamburg. It was damaged by enemy action and while returning to base the following night, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane crashed into the sea off Spurn Head. Two crew members were rescued and four others were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas George Cottier, pilot, †
P/O Clifford Herbert Lomas, †
F/Sgt Lloyd Charles Powell, pilot, †
Sgt Thomas Noel Pugh, †
Sgt A. E. Cox,
Sgt J. A. H. Lucas.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I in Anston

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 0208 LT

Type of aircraft:

Short S.29 Stirling

Operator:

Registration:

W7461

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

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The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1823LT on January 15 an operation to Hamburg. It experienced an engine failure over the target area and on return, the crew met very poor visibility. Due to fuel exhaustion, the captain ordered his crew to bail out and later attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed one mile southwest of Anston and was written off. All eight crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
F/O William George Barnes, pilot,
Sgt Baker, copilot,
Sgt Townsend, flight engineer,
Sgt Cyril William Dellow, observer,
Sgt Heron, observer,
Sgt Leonard Charles Collins, wireless operator,
Sgt Cook, air gunner,
Sgt Richard Thomas Patrick Gallagher, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine failure and fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I in Grimoldby

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 0100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7495

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Schedule:

Woolfox Lodge - Woolfox Lodge

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The airplane departed RAF Woolfox Lodge at 1730LT on January 15 on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, it ran out of fuel and the crew attempted to divert to RAF Bottesford. Due to poor weather conditions, the crew was unable to localize the airfield. All seven crew members bailed out and abandoned the airplane that entered a dive and crashed in a field. The entire crew escaped uninjured.
Crew (61st Squadron):
F/O J. Beard,
Sgt Haynes,
F/Sgt Asson,
Sgt O. W. J. Pearce,
Sgt Sheppard,
F/Sgt Underwood,
Sgt Holmes.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Arden Great Moor: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 0005 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5493

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Schedule:

Driffield - Driffield

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The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 1835LT on January 15 on an operation to Emden. While returning to base the following night, it crashed in unknown circumstances just past midnight at Arden Great Moor. Four crew members were killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
Sgt John Wilmot, pilot, †
Sgt John Blackwell Turner, pilot, †
Sgt Douglas Reginald Bradley, observer, †
Sgt George White, wireless operator, †
Sgt Regan,
Sgt Upham.

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

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Operator:

Registration:

Z1265

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

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The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1745LT on January 15 on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, it encountered severe icing conditions and crashed in Clipstone. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Jan Bak,
P/O Stefan Berdys,
Cpl Franciszek Chylewski,
Sgt Pawer Konrad Krenzel,
Sgt Marian Wajceech Lagodzinski,
Maj Wacław Mosiewicz.

Probable cause:

Icing.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Whitby: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1759

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Stradishall - Stradishall

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The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 1740LT on January 15 an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, it is presumed that it crashed into the sea off Whitby. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Edward Everett Hale, pilot,
Sgt George James Peck, pilot,
F/Sgt William John Elder,
Sgt Arthur Lionel Lax,
Sgt Joseph Barnby Myers,
P/O Henry Joseph Woodrow.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC on Mt Cheviot: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1942 at 2355 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z1078

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Snaith - Snaith

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The airplane departed RAF Snaith at 1723LT on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base in the late evening, the crew encountered heavy snow falls over the north of England. Flying at an altitude of 1,500 feet in poor visibility, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Cheviot. A crew was killed and five others were seriously injured. The next day, two of the survivors died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
Sgt Laurence Warren Hunt, pilot, †
Sgt Thomas Walter Irving, observer, †
Sgt Frederick George Maple, wireless operator, †
P/O B. A. McDonald,
Sgt W. H. Allworth,
Sgt C. F. Glover.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV near RAF Hibaldstow

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1942 at 2340 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Operator:

Registration:

Z1397

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Hemswell - Hemswell

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The airplane departed RAF Hemswell at 1748LT on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base in the late evening, the pilot became ill and the airplane crashed near RAF Hibaldstow. All six crew members were rescued, among them three were injured.
Crew:
P/O Liszka,
Sgt D. Niezrecki,
F/O M. Kuzmicki,
Sgt Janik,
Sgt K. Szturc,
Sgt C. K. Sulgut.

Probable cause:

The crash was attributed to the pilot being taken ill through lack of oxygen.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Hollenstedt: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1942 at 2334 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1395

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

Elsham Wolds - Elsham Wolds

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The airplane departed RAF Elsham Wolds at 1742LT on an operation to Hamburg. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Hollenstedt. Five crew members were killed and a sixth was injured and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt John Samuel Dainton, pilot, †
Sgt Ambrose Bowen Thomas, pilot, †
F/Sgt Eric Twelves, observer, †
Sgt Arthur Stockdale, wireless operator, †
Sgt T. B. Lewis, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Gilbert Peter Mallon Hardesty, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Northallerton: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1942 at 2230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

L9622

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

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The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1812LT on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base in the late evening, it crashed in unknown circumstances in Northallerton. Six crew members were killed and a seventh was seriously injured.
Crew:
Sgt M. S. Schneider, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Cowan, pilot, †
Sgt Herbert Kenneth Taylor, flight engineer, †
P/O Michael Von Dadelszen, observer, †
Sgt James Calvert Bradley, wireless operator, †
P/O Vincent Leslie Brice, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Donald Savage, air gunner. †

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