Desert | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed Aden-Khormaksar Airport to attack the airfield of Mekele in Ethiopia. En route, it was shot down by the pilot of an Italian fighter and crashed in the Piano del Sale Desert area. A crew was killed and two others were injured. They walked for about 145 km before being assisted by locals. A second crew died eight days later from injuries sustained.
Crew:
Sgt Richard Douglas Rushton, †
F/Lt Austin Luis Hugo Solano, †
Sgt E W A Sutton.

Probable cause:

Shot down by an Italian fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Ras Bir

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L8456

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The crew was forced to make an emergency landing near Ras Bir, east of Obock. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC near Sidi Barrani

Date & Time: Dec 21, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

L7865

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The crew was performing a flight to Berka when an engine failed en route, forcing the pilot to reduce his altitude and to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a desert area located 30 miles southeast of Sidi Barrani, bursting into flames. The aircraft was wrecked and all five crew members were rescued.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I in Suez: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1940 at 1055 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 130 Bombay

Operator:

Registration:

L5821

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Heliopolis - Heliopolis

MSN:

SH.14

YOM:

1939

Location:

Suez

Country:

Egypt

Region:

Africa

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The crew departed Heliopolis on a turret practice for air gunners. While flying in the vicinity of Suez and while completing a turn, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Francis Adrian Walton, pilot,
F/O Peter Aveline Slaney Baker, pilot,
AC2 Robert Coulson, wireless operator,
Sgt John Ogilvie Paul, wireless operator and air gunner,
P/O Harold Herbert Jordain Hobday, air gunner,
P/O John Cottrell Leonard Hanmer-Strudwick, air gunner,
P/O William Edward Laceby, air gunner.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in El Salloum: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L8465

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

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The bomber was shot down by the pilot of an Italian fighter and crashed near El Salloum. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Patrick Cullimore Traill-Smith, pilot,
P/O Vincent Dennis Fry, observer,
Sgt Tom Osborn Liggins, 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

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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 Bristol 142 Blenheim in Bakbak: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L4820

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

Fuka - Fuka

MSN:

8835

YOM:

1939

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The crew departed Fuka on a raid over Gazala. On return, an engine caught fire and the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed near Bakbak, bursting into flames. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Michael Frederick Henry Fox, pilot,
Sgt Harry Francis Alfred Nicholas, observer,
Sgt Maurice Klines, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Bir el Gobi

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1491

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

El Alamein - El Alamein

MSN:

8774

YOM:

1939

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The crew was engaged in a raid over Ain el Gazala when he was forced to attempt an emergency landing due to fuel shortage. The airplane crash landed in a desert area located in Bir el Gobi. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all three crew members became PoW.
Crew:
P/O Eric Garrard-Cole, pilot,
Sgt Walter Braithwaite Smith,
AC2 Edward Pearce Doolin.

Crash of a Bristol 130 Bombay I near Marsa Matruh: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 130 Bombay

Operator:

Registration:

L5815

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Schedule:

Tobrouk – Héliopolis

MSN:

SH.8

YOM:

1939

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Following a supply mission in Tobruk, the aircraft was returning to Heliopolis. While cruising at night at low height, it impacted a cliff and crashed about 40 km south of Mersa Matruh. Two crew members were injured and three others were killed.
Crew (216th Squadron):
P/O Ralph Paul Joseph Osborne, pilot, †
S/L R. G. Taylor, pilot, †
LAC Kenneth Edward Webber, †
LAC George Niven,
Cpl A. C. Hazlitt.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.