Devonshire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 0130LT on a mine laying mission off Brest. While flying over The Channel, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea some 36 miles south-southeast of Start Point. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Christopher Basil Harrison,
Sgt Hilsby Reginald Northwood,
Sgt Joseph Thomas Owen,
P/O Eric Walter Reynolds.

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

Date & Time: Mar 21, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

X3054

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

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The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 1820LT on an operation to Lorient. While returning to base in the evening, it flew into high ground at Hameldown Tor, Dartmoor. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Robert David Wilson, pilot,
Sgt Richard Leonard Ashburton Ellis, pilot,
Sgt Charles John Lyon, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Brames, wireless operator.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Dartmouth: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R3279

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

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The airplane departed RAF Marham at 1828LT on March 2 on an operation to Brest. While returning to base the following night, it crashed in unknown circumstances in the sea off Dartmouth. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Edward Fenwick, wireless operator,
Sgt George Liddell Elliott,
Sgt Geoffrey Rochfort Pike,
Sgt Ronald Charles Brockway,
Sgt Herbert Walter Green,
Sgt Albert Walter White.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-5 on Lundy Island

Date & Time: Mar 2, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1G+AL

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The bomber was attacking the cargo ship named 'Port Townsville' cruising in the Bristol Channel when it was hit by enemy fire. The crew attempted an emergency landing on Lundy Island where the airplane crashed, bursting into flames. All five crew members became PoW.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I in Topsham: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1123

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Exeter - Exeter

MSN:

8406

YOM:

1938

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The pilot departed RAF Exeter on a solo training flight. While cruising south of Exeter, the airplane suffered an engine fire, entered a dive and crashed in Topsham. The pilot Sgt Frank Morton was killed.

Probable cause:

Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I off Sidmouth: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

P4322

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Scampton – Scampton

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The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 1705LT on January 5 on a mine laying mission in the French waters. It is believed that it crashed into the sea some 10 miles off Sidmouth. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Gordon Ernest Price,
Sgt William Burton Cecil Winning,
Sgt Cyril Alexander Small,
Sgt Thomas Henry Chamberlain.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in South Molton

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1941 at 0340 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

P4937

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Dishforth - Dishforth

MSN:

1664

YOM:

1940

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The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 1700LT on an operation to Bremen. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered technical problems with the w/t system and abandoned the airplane that crashed in South Molton. All five crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
P/O P. S. James,
Sgt L. R. Blackwell,
Sgt R. J. Garlish,
Sgt C. E. Simpson,
Sgt N. M. Chadwick.

Probable cause:

Aircraft abandoned due to w/t failure.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V off Torbay: 5 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

T4159

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse

MSN:

1852

YOM:

1940

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The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 1710LT on an operation to Mannheim. It is believed that it crashed in the sea off Torbay. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew:
Sgt Stronach Vivian Smith,
Sgt Keith Leonard Watson,
Sgt Alistair Gowling-Scopes,
Sgt James Rowlands,
Sgt John William Chamberlain.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Plympton

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1940 at 0515 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z5801

Flight Phase:

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Schedule:

West Raynham - West Raynham

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The airplane departed RAF West Raynham at 2108LT on December 16 on an operation to Mannheim. While returning to base the following morning, it ran out of fuel and was abandoned by the crew while approaching Plymouth. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed in the Newnham Deer Park located north of Plympton and was destroyed. All three crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
P/O C. E. Hill,
P/O R. E. Glover,
F/O J. V. Baker.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.