Royal Air Force - RAF

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Marham at 1520LT on an operation to Brest. The port engine caught fire while outbound, and the crew were ordered to bail out. The pilot diverted to RAF Upavon where the airplane crash landed and was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Sgt Brewerton,
Sgt Longmore,
Sgt Cox,
P/O Taylor,
Sgt Williamson,
Sgt McDonald.

Probable cause:

The left engine caught fire after takeoff.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Eavestone Moor: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1941 at 0143 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z9188

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

MSN:

2303

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1630LT on December 11 on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered marginal weather when the airplane was caught by severe downdrafts and crashed in Eavestone Moor. A pilot was killed and four other occupants were injured.
Crew:
Sgt Eric Charles Hoskin, pilot, †
P/O J. H. Kenny,
P/O R. G. A. Burgess,
Sgt J. K. Taylor,
Sgt R. Clark.

Probable cause:

Loss off control after being caught by severe downdrafts.

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I in Donges: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 152 Beaufort

Operator:

Registration:

N1085

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

9146

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in Donges, about 5 km east of Saint-Nazaire Airport. The observer was killed and three other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Allan Willson Toup, observer, †
Sgt Andrew Adams Ferguson,
Sgt Clifford Guest,
Sgt Ian Watson Jones.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near Oberhausen: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE391

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Landing (descent or approach)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Coningsby - Coningsby

Location:

Oberhausen

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 Coningsby at 1040LT on an operation to Gelsenkirchen. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Oberhausen. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Samuel Victor Crowhurst, pilot,
F/Lt Harold Dudley Webber, pilot,
Sgt Frank Norman, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Robson-Scott, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Massawa

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L4901

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Schedule:

Massawa - Massawa

MSN:

8916

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane suffered an engine failure on approach, crash landed, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Engine failure on approach.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near RAF East Wretham: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1941 at 2050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T2959

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Feltwell at 1625LT on an operation to Le Havre. While returning to base in the evening, it crashed for unknown reasons three miles from RAF East Wretham. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Donald Austin Watson, pilot,
Sgt Philip Leslie Gurd, pilot,
Sgt Edwin Rowland Carter, observer,
Sgt Stanley Heelis Jackson, wireless operator,
Sgt John Mortimer McKenzie, wireless operator,
Sgt Ranulph Paul Manwaring, air gunner.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I at RAF Cranwell: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1941 at 1130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

T1052

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Schedule:

Cranwell - Cranwell

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot departed RAF Cranwell on a local solo training flight. While circling in the vicinity of the airbase, the airplane collided with a Spitfire registered AD291. The pilot of the Oxford attempted to reach RAF Cranwell for an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed on final approach and was destroyed. The pilot was killed. The Spitfire also crashed and its pilot was killed.
Crew:
LAC Ernest Aubrey Griffin, pilot.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Odense: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

AE148

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Balderton - Balderton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Balderton at 1715LT on a mine laying operation off Kiel. Passing over Denmark, it crashed in unknown circumstances in Sanderum, in the southwest suburb of Odense. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O William Francis Hull, pilot,
F/Sgt Duncan Luin Todd, observer,
Sgt Samuel Jamieson, wireless operator,
Sgt Lynn Harding, wireless operator.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I off Ostend: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

L9600

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: