Royal Air Force - RAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The floatplane departed Singapore-Seletar Airport on a maritime patrol flight. About 300 km off Singapore, it was attacked and shot down by a Japanese fighter and crash landed into the sea, bursting into flames. All nine crew members were rescued the following morning and returned to Seletar. The airplane sank and was lost.
Crew:
F/Lt R. A. Atkinson,
P/O S. E. Scales,
P/O D. B. Babineau,
Sgt T. D. Morris,
Sgt P. Smith,
Cpl J. A. D. Wyant,
LAC D. Ballard,
Sgt R. Borchers,
P/O Heath.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I into The Channel: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

AM669

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Saint Eval - Saint Eval

MSN:

414-2751

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF St Eval at 2257LT on a maritime patrol flight. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed somewhere in The Channel. Lost without trace.
Crew:
S/L Cecil Rhys Davies,
Sgt Arthur George Gooch,
F/Lt Joseph Herbert Higgleton,
Sgt Tom Ford Houldsworth,
Sgt Jack Roberts.

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

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z9677

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Luqa - Luqa

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The airplane departed RAF Luqa to attack ships in the Zuara harbor in Libya. It is believed that it was hit by enemy fire and later crashed somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea. Lost without trace.
Crew:
Sgt Edwin Crossley, pilot,
Sgt Kenneth Thomas Hewson, observer,
Sgt Henry Gordon Luke, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Elveden: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1941 at 2345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z8834

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

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The airplane departed RAF Feltwell on an operation to Brest. While returning to base in the late evening, the airplane crashed for unknown reasons in Elveden while the crew awaited their landing instructions. The pilot was killed and five other crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Loch Lomond Bentley, pilot, †
Sgt T. W. Burke,
Sgt H. Ives,
Sgt K. C. Wilkes,
Sgt W. H. Olrod,
Sgt S. V. Hardman.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY Catalina I at RAF Pembroke Dock: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1941 at 2000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Operator:

Registration:

W8418

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Pembroke Dock - Pembroke Dock

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Following a maritime patrol flight, the floatplane was returning to base at RAF Pembroke Dock when it crashed upon landing at night for unknown reasons. Six crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Crew:
P/O Anthony George William Debonnaire, †
F/Sgt James Soutar Gray, †
F/O Vladimir Victor Havlicek, †
F/Sgt George Edwin Jones, †
F/Sgt Frederick Rees Lewis, †
Sgt Stanley Lockett, †
P/O K. A. W. Paterson,
Sgt W. H. Westby,
Sgt K. B. Murphy,
Sgt G. Missett.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Sibbertoft: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5374

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Lindholme - Lindholme

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The airplane departed RAF Lindholme at 1732LT on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base in the evening, it crashed in unknown circumstances in Sibbertoft, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
Sgt Eugeniusz Jerzy Baracz,
F/O Czeslaw S. Golacki,
Sgt Szeregowiec Zdzisław Kurowski,
Cpt Alfons Antoni Szymon Nowak,
Sgt Henryk Rozpara,
P/O Jan Siwiec.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Denham

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P1159

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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While on a training flight, the crew encountered bad weather conditions and made an emergency landing in Denham. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and both occupants escaped uninjured.

Crash of a Lockheed 10A Electra near Ismailia

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 10 Electra

Operator:

Registration:

AX699

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

1097

YOM:

1936

Location:

Ismailia

Country:

Egypt

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Circumstances:

For unknown reasons, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing near Ismailia Airport. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and there were no injuries among the occupants.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IVF in Sutton-on-the-Forest: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1941 at 2345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

N6166

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Church Fenton - Church Fenton

MSN:

9266

YOM:

1939

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Circumstances:

The crew departed RAF Church Fenton on a night training exercise. In unknown circumstances, the airplane went out of control and crashed in Sutton-on-the-Forest. Both crew members were seriously injured and the pilot later died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
Sgt Leonard Henry Tickner, pilot, †
Sgt Frederick Turner, observer.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Lindholme

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5560

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 1710LT on an operation to Wilhelmshaven. It returned early with failing engines, but was ordered to divert to RAF Lindholme. While approaching the runway, the Wellington crash landed and was damaged beyond repair. All six crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt L. S. Mather,
Sgt R. N. Lonergan,
Sgt A. R. Skuthorpe,
Sgt G. A. Tilley,
Sgt P. J. Campbell,
Sgt Dodds.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.