Desert | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Approaching Zāwiyat Masūs at night, the airplane was shot down by the German Flak and crashed. A crew was killed and seven others became PoW.
Crew (216th Squadron):
Sgt Anthony Edward Carter, †
F/O Frank Edward Wilcox,
F/O J. N. G. Bateman,
Sgt J. R. Bell,
LAC L. D. F. Llewellyn,
AC1 W. Hutchison,
F/Lt E. G. L. Pelling,
LAC E. W. Walker.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near El Adem

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1942 at 2325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

L7864

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

El Adem - Buerat

Location:

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The airplane departed El Adem at 2315LT on a flight to Buerat. Few minutes after takeoff, one of the engine failed. The crew attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a desert area located 11 km north of El Adem. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all six crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt J. F. R. Morrison,
P/O R. Salmon,
P/O La Brish,
Sgt Clay,
Sgt D. Griffin,
Sgt James.

Probable cause:

Engine failure after takeoff.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Musmer

Date & Time: Dec 29, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7577

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Wadi Gazouza - Wadi Gazouza

Location:

Musmer

Red Sea (البحر الأحمر)

Country:

Sudan

Region:

Africa

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The crew departed Wadi Gazouza on a training exercise. For unknown reasons, the airplane crash landed in a desert area located near Musmer, about 180 km northeast of Atbara. Both crew members were rescued.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Tripoli: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z9804

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Luqa - Luqa

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The airplane departed RAF Luqa on an operation over Libya. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed west of Tripoli. A crew was killed and two others became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Francis Henry William Keene, pilot,
Sgt Charles Theodore Small, observer,
Sgt Jack Pickup, wireless operator. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Doha

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7907

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The airplane departed Bahrain on a flight to Singapore where the crew was supposed to be transferred. After being refueled by locals in Bahrain, the airplane took off when the port engine started to pack up. Unable to maintain height, the airplane crash landed in a desert area located 10 miles southwest of Doha. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all three crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt T. Frost, observer,
Sgt D. James, wireless operator +1.

Probable cause:

Engine problems after takeoff because the fuel was contaminated with water. It was later determined that one of the cans used to refuel the airplane contained water.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-120 near Hamata: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Registration:

DG475

Flight Phase:

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MSN:

1410

YOM:

1935

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The airplane was shot down by three Me.110 and crash landed in a desert area located 16 km northeast of Hamata, near RAF LG-138. At least one passenger was killed and the airplane was destroyed. The aircraft was on its way to RAF LG-138 to deliver supply.
Crew:
F/Lt Howell, pilot,
W/O David Lummie Lord, copilot.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.86B Express in Egypt

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1941

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.86 Express

Operator:

Registration:

A31-8

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

2359

YOM:

1936

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The crew was performing an ambulance flight within Egypt when the twin engine airplane was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a desert area located in the western part of Egypt, bursting into flames. The airplane was destroyed by a post crash fire and all three crew members were rescued.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Benghazi

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1941 at 2230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

Z8798

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

LG.09 - LG.09

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The airplane departed LG.09 (Bir Koriayim) on an operation to Benghazi. It failed to return to base and crashed some 80 km east of Benghazi. All six crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Gavin Matthew Goldfinch,
P/O George Edmund Guthrie,
P/O John Mcguire Taylor,
Sgt Laurence Sidney Barker,
Sgt Charles Joseph Bourner,
Sgt Harry Rose.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I near Tawīlat al Ghazālah: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1941 at 0200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 130 Bombay

Operator:

Registration:

L5847

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Skydiving / Paratroopers

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Heliopolis - Heliopolis

MSN:

SH.40

YOM:

1939

Location:

Tawīlat al Ghazālah

Nuqat al Khams (النقاط الخمس)

Country:

Libya

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Heliopolis to drop paratroopers over Tmimi. While flying between Tmimi and Gazala, it was shot down by enemy fire, entered a dive and crashed near Tawīlat al Ghazālah. Seven crew members became PoW while Sgt Pott was killed. About two weeks later, P/O Martin and AC1 Humphries died from injuries sustained.
Crew (216th Squadron):
Sgt John Henry Pott, †
P/O Donald Sunman Martin, pilot, †
AC1 William Humphries, †
W/O R. P. Head,
LAC R. W. Gowing,
F/S Charlie E. West +2.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Final Report: