Drenthe | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Coningsby at 1210LT On an operation to Oldenburg. It is believed that it was hit by the German Flak over the target area, and while returning to base and passing over the Netherlands, it crash landed in Schoonebeek. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Sgt Reginald Stanley Hartgroves, pilot,
P/O Anthony Carter, navigator, †
Sgt Ron Yearsley, wireless operator,
Sgt Doug Martin, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Beilen: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1941 at 2010 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

T2516

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Waterbeach - Waterbeach

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The airplane departed RAF Waterbeach at 1728LT on an operation to Berlin. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Beilen, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
P/O Charles George Gilmore, pilot,
Sgt George William Thomas Wiggs, pilot,
F/Sgt Ian Gordon Harrowby, observer,
Sgt Albert Charles Frank Harrop, wireless operator,
Sgt Frederick Harold Sanders, wireless operator,
Sgt Edward Reginald Schofield, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Barger-Compascuum: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1941 at 0230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1770

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Alconbury - Alconbury

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The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 0005LT on an operation to Osnabrück. It was shot down by a DO.215 and crashed in Barger-Compascuum, near the border with Germany. Two crew members were killed and four others became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Gordon Ewart Davies, air gunner, †
P/O Peter Bernard Gill Edwards, pilot, †
F/O Guy Courtney Conran,
Sgt Bernard Kay,
Sgt Sidney David Swindale,
Sgt John Alfred Tracey.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Orvelte: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1941 at 0055 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6799

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

2159

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2230LT on July 7 on an operation to Osnabrück. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a Me.110 and crashed in Orvelte. Four crew members were killed and a fifth became PoW.
Crew:
Flt Lt Charles Robert McLeod Petley, †
Sgt Gerald Lightley, †
Sgt Kenrick William Marshall Christopher, †
Sgt R. L. Luce,
Sgt Josiah Herbert Wilson. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Eerste Exloërmond: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1941 at 0034 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1492

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Syerston - Syerston

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The airplane departed RAF Syerstonon July 3 on an operation to Bremen. Passing over the Netherlands, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a field in Eerste Exloërmond. A crew was killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt B. Stachon, †
F/Lt Waclaw Butkiewicz,
W/O Antoni Kazimierz Dydo,
W/O Zdzislaw Dziegiel,
W/O Zbigniew Idzikowsky,
F/Lt Julian Stefan Palka.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P-4 in Zweeloo: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1940 at 0315 LT

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

5J+KM

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Eindhoven - Eindhoven

MSN:

3083

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The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a field in Zweeloo, Drenthe. The pilot was killed and three other crew members were killed. The last radio contact was recorded at 0148LT with Soesterberg AFB.
Crew:
Uffz J. Hofmann, pilot,
Fw K. Burse, observer,
Gfr G. Bosse, radio operator,
Gfr K. Spichtal, air gunner.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Groningen

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

R3763

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Wyton - Wyton

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The airplane departed RAF Wyton at 2250LT to attack the airport of Groningen-Eelde. It crashed in unknown circumstances near the target area. All three crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt James Moore,
Sgt Roger Peacock,
Sgt Philip Harry Steele.

Crash of a Koolhoven FK.43 in Groningen

Date & Time: Dec 17, 1937 at 1130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Koolhoven FK.43

Operator:

Registration:

PH-AKC

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Amsterdam – Groningen – Teuge – Amsterdam

MSN:

4308

YOM:

1933

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a training flight. Shortly after takeoff from Groningen-Eelde Airport, while climbing to a height of some 15 metres, the crew initiated a sharp turn when the single engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a field. Both occupants were unhurt while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the airplane stalled while completing a sharp turn at an altitude that did not allow the crew to expect a stall recovery.

Crash of a Koolhoven FK.43 in Groningen

Date & Time: May 26, 1933 at 1600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Koolhoven FK.43

Operator:

Registration:

PH-AIL

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Amsterdam – De Kooy – Groningen – Amsterdam

MSN:

4302

YOM:

1932

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a round training flight from Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport with stops in De Kooy and Groningen. Shortly after takeoff from Groningen-Eelde Airport, while climbing to a height of 150 metres, the crew made a turn to the left when it lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed in a field. While both occupants were slightly injured, the aircraft named 'Luis' was destroyed.

Crash of a Pander EC-60 in Groningen: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1931

Type of aircraft:

Pander EC-60

Operator:

H. Hindriks

Registration:

PH-AEV

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Groningen - Groningen

MSN:

25/II

YOM:

1929

Location:

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Circumstances:

The pilot departed Groningen-Eelde Airport on a local training flight. While flying in the vicinity of the airfield at a height of about 150 metres, he lost control of the airplane that crashed on the ground. The pilot was killed.

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