Royal Air Force - RAF

The crew was performing a supply mission when the aircraft hit the slope of a 1,200 feet hill located on the Hailing Island. The wreckage was found 50 feet below the summit and all four crew members were killed.

The aircraft was assigned to the Glider Pick-Up Training Flt, whose role was to train crews in the 'snatch take-off method for retrieving gliders. Those on board were mostly returning to their base in Leicester, on completion of the course of instruction at Zeals. The aircraft took off at 1523LT in conditions of broken cloud, with some patches down to 100 feet and generally overcast, a westerly wind at 10 mph and visibility of 1 to 2 miles at ground level. The pilot made a quarter circuit of the airfield and then set course to the north-east. Three minutes later, whilst flying in and out of the broken cloud and whilst in level flight, the aircraft flew into a clump of 60 foot tall beech trees on top of a knoll. The impact ripped 10 feet off the port wing and the aircraft rolled to port, hit two more trees and then impaled itself on a cluster of four mature trees, caught fire and disintegrated, scattering wreckage over a distance of 300 yards on the far side of the knoll. Destruction of the aircraft was complete but investigation revealed the engines to have been at a high power setting on impact.
Crew:
F/Lt Reed Tilton Hyde, pilot,
F/O James Cassells Howden, pilot,
F/O Gerard Jean Guay, wireless operator,
F/O Mervyn Esmond Llewellyn Scovell, navigator.
Passengers:
F/Sgt Alan Geoffrey Shaddick, pilot,
F/Sgt John Ogilvy Allen, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Leslie Daniel Slipper, pilot,
F/Lt Thomas Arthur Evans, pilot,
F/Lt Alan James Roberts, pilot,
F/O Sidney Graham Williams, navigator,
F/Sgt Donald Grant, navigator,
F/Sgt Maxwell Vernon Gilder,
F/Sgt James Ross, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Ronald Edward Jelfs, flight engineer,
F/Lt Douglas Elliott Turnbull, wireless operator,
F/Lt John Heywood, equipment officer,
Cpl Kenneth Stanley Anderson,
LAC Reginald Ernest Suggars,
LAC Walter James Colby,
F/Lt Frank Joseph Plant, navigator.
Source: http://ww2talk.com/

On approach to RAF Church Lawford, the twin engine aircraft was too low, hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area. Both crew members were killed.
Crew (1533 BAT):
W/O Frank Needham, pilot,
Sgt Eric Kershaw, pilot.

The crew left Hathazari Airfield located north of Chittagong at 0708LT with three other RAF C-47 on a supply mission to the 14th Army. Enroute, weather conditions worsened and all three other crews decided to return to Hathazari while FD820 continued. Later, while cruising in poor weather conditions with low clouds, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located 19 km northeast of Lunglei. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (117th Squadron):
F/O Deckland Archibald Bayley, pilot,
F/O W. R. Thomson, copilot,
F/Lt J. W. Slater, navigator,
P/O J. E. Long, flight engineer,
P/O E. E. Newell, navigator.

The aircraft was returning from a supply dropping sortie and had been diverted from its home base because of the poor weather conditions prevailing. It seems the crew did not receive the diversion message and once again the radio frequencies were changed by arrangements with the USAAF authorities but not notified to this crew in their pre-sortie briefing. On reaching the airfield the weather conditions were found to be cloud with a ceiling of 400 feet but despite knowing there were hills in close proximity to the airfield, the pilot descended into the cloud and the aircraft struck the high ground and burst into flames after impact. Subsequently, it was discovered that the signal notifying the frequency changes had not been received by the parent squadron until 5 hours after the accident. It was commented that the Wing HQ could have passed the frequency change direct to the aircraft on the existing frequency before the change was implemented.
Crew (62nd Squadron):
F/Lt Joseph Barker Goodwin, pilot,
F/O Frank Hubert Pickard, copilot,
F/Sgt Harry Woddhouse, navigator,
F/Sgt Ronald James Hill, wireless operator.
Source: http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?5956-62-Squadron-Airman-13-2-1945-(India)

Crashed on takeoff. No casualties.

The crew departed RAF Digri in the morning on a supply mission to troops based in Burma. While returning to his base, he encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and severe turbulence. Three other Dakota's crew were able to climb up to 15,000 feet and to return to their base when KJ927 went out of control and crashed near Mount Victoria, in Chin Hills. All five crew members were killed.
Crew (357th Squadron):
P/O J. W. D. Reid, pilot,
W/O Hartley, navigator,
W/O J. Begg, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt T. L. Longhurst, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt T. Nathaniel, air gunner.

Shortly after takeoff from Plymouth harbor, the aircraft failed to climb and crashed into the sea. Two crew members were killed while 9 others were rescued.
Crew killed (10th Squadron):
F/Sgt Harry Thomas Groennou,
P/O Peter Malcolm Hore.

A tyre burst in flight, forcing the crew to complete a belly landing in Mauripur Airport, Karachi. While there were no casualties, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft left RAF Thorney Island at 0935LT bound for Amiens with six other similar aircraft, carrying 23 people, among them 17 members of the RAF, three of the RCAF, two of the RAAF and one of the RNZAF. Enroute, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a cloud layer up to 200 feet above the ground. While cruising at a height of some 150 feet, the aircraft hit the top of a hill with its right wing, went out of control and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Hunters Burgh, near Folkington. All 23 occupants were killed.
Crew:
W/O Peter Matthew Oleinikoff, pilot,
F/Sgt Edgar Alan Barsby, copilot,
F/O Kenneth Gilbert Forseth, navigator,
F/Sgt Ronald Arthur Brock, wireless operator,
Passengers:
F/O Edward William Curtis,
P/O Colin Alexander Rattray,
Cpl Colin Gibson,
Cpl Gerald Ernest Nelson David Lee,
Cpl William George Blair,
Cpl Edwin Bruce Chadd,
Cpl David Cooper,
LAC Frank Bainbridge,
LAC Ronald Grayham Baldry,
LAC Samuel Arthur Bamber,
LAC William Daniel Davies,
LAC Thomas Henry Floody,
LAC Jack Neale,
LAC Woolf Nerden,
LAC Robert Smith,
LAC Sydney MacKenzie Smith,
LAC George Stevens,
LAC Albert Edward Dowler Wilkes,
LAC George Wilson.