Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Gura: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 2, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L8452
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Gura
Debub
Country:
Eritrea
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane was shot down by the pilot of a CR.42 and crashed near Gura. Two crew members were killed and a third became PoW.
Crew:
S/L John Walter Dallamore, pilot, †
P/O A. G. Sheppard, observer,
Sgt Myles Mackenzie, wireless operator and air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Italian fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Gura: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 30, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L6665
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Gura
Debub
Country:
Eritrea
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane was shot down by the pilot of a CR.42 and crashed in Gura. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
S/L George Justin Bush, pilot,
Sgt John C. Usher, observer,
Sgt James Corney, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Italian fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Al-Jaghbub: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L8394
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Location:
Al-Jaghbub
Butnan (البطنان)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane was shot down by the pilot of a CR.42 and crashed near Al-Jaghbub. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Ambrose Sydney Barnard Godrich, pilot,
Sgt William Charles Clarke, observer,
Sgt William Henry Thompson, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Italian fighter.

Crash of a Supermarine Walrus I off Dakar: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1940 at 0916 LT
Type of aircraft:
Supermarine Walrus
Operator:
Registration:
L2247
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The floatplane departed HMAS Australia to spot the shell fire during the bombardment of the French fleet at Dakar when it was shot down by the pilot of a Vichy French Curtiss 75 and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Dakar. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt George John Isiah Clarke +2.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Vichy French fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Qutayfiyah

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L6660
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Qutayfiyah - Qutayfiyah
Location:
Qutayfiyah
Matruh
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Back from a mission, the bomber was approaching Qutayfiyah Airfield at night. On final, it was too low and impacted the ground short of runway, bounced and crashed on a car. All three crew members were rescued and the airplane was written off.
Crew:
Sgt Hutt, pilot,
Sgt Vynor Pollard, observer,
Sgt John Munro, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Saro A.27 London II off Casablanca: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Saro A.27 London
Operator:
Registration:
K9682
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Gibraltar - Gibraltar
Location:
Casablanca
Grand Casablanca
Country:
Morocco
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Gibraltar on a reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrol mission. While flying along the Moroccan coast, it was shot down by the pilot of a Vichy French Curtiss H-75 and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean about 60 km off Casablanca. Both pilots were killed and three other crew members became PoW.
Crew:
F/O Edwin Charles Minchinton, pilot, †
F/L Bruce McCallum, pilot, †
LAC Richard Marshall-Hardy, wireless operator, +2.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Vichy French fighter.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Heliopolis

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
L7976
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Heliopolis - Heliopolis
Location:
Heliopolis
Cairo
Country:
Egypt
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on take off for unknown reasons. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim near Derna

Date & Time: Sep 4, 1940 at 1520 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L8376
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Qutayfiyah - Qutayfiyah
Location:
Derna
Benghazi (بنغازي)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crash landed near Derna with one engine dead. All three crew members became PoW.
Crew:
S/L A. R. G. Bax, pilot,
Sgt Ronald Alexander Bain,
AC1 Leonard Ernest Charles Wise.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I in Tobruk: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 130 Bombay
Operator:
Registration:
L5849
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Heliopolis - Heliopolis
MSN:
SH.42
YOM:
1939
Location:
Tobruk
Butnan (البطنان)
Country:
Libya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Heliopolis on a mission over Tobruk. Approaching the target area at night, it crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all five crew members.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Dire Dawa: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 20, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 142 Blenheim
Operator:
Registration:
L8474
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Aden - Aden
Location:
Dire Dawa-Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma
Dire Dawa City District
Country:
Ethiopia
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Aden to attack Dire Dawa Airport. Approaching the target, it was shot down by the pilot of an Italian fighter and crashed, bursting into flames. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Paul Edwin Osborne Jago, pilot,
Sgt John Astil Wilson-Law,
Cpl John Herbert Wintle.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an Italian fighter.
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