East Yorkshire

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

W5497

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

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Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

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The airplane was returning to RAF Pocklington following a cross country exercise when it crashed upon landing. Both crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt J. R. Baillie,
Sgt F. H. Mitchell.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Driffield: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 10, 1942 at 0250 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

W5431

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Driffield - Driffield

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The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 1934LT on March 9 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it crashed upon landing and was destroyed. Five crew members were killed and a sixth was injured.
Crew:
F/Lt George Gordon Duff, pilot, †
Sgt Colin Albert Cornwell, pilot, †
P/O Douglas Albert Edward Clarke, observer, †
Sgt Harry James Evans, wireless operator, †
Sgt Leslie James Caldwell, wireless operator, †
Sgt Eric William Clark, air gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Pocklington

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

Z8441

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

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The airplane departed RAF Pocklington on an operation to Billancourt. While returning to base, it suffered an engine failure and crashed on final approach. Three crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt D. B. Webb,
Sgt L. Dickison,
Sgt J. Clarke,
Sgt M. F. Mulvey,
Sgt R. J. Tavener,
Sgt R. Forgie.

Probable cause:

Engine failure on final approach.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Pocklington: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1942 at 1900 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z8536

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

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The airplane departed RAF Pocklington at 1856LT on an operation to Kiel. While climbing, an engine caught fire. The bomb load was jettisoned but due to low altitude, the bomber was caught in the blast when two of the bomb exploded and it came down four minutes after takeoff in the southern outskirts of Yapham village, north of the airbase. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Reginald Francis Robb, pilot,
F/Sgt Charles Hackney, pilot,
W/O Thomas Herbert Bennett, navigator,
F/Sgt Charles Harold Latshaw Brown, wireless operator,
Sgt Keith Winterton, wireless operator,
Sgt Norman Anthony Morgan, air gunner.

Probable cause:

An engine caught fire shortly after takeoff.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217E-4 off Withernsea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 18, 1942 at 1337 LT

Type of aircraft:

Dornier DO.217

Operator:

Registration:

U5+KR

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Amsterdam - Amsterdam

MSN:

5342

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport on an operation to England. While approaching the British coast, it was shot down by a Spitfire and crashed into the sea off Withernsea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Erich Palm, pilot,
Fw Rudolf Mühlbach, observer,
Uffz Arthur Hoffmann, radio operator,
Ogfr Reinhard Kammerath, mechanic.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Spurn Head: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 0210 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z1145

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

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The airplane departed RAF Mildenhall at 1810LT on January 15 on an operation to Hamburg. It was damaged by enemy action and while returning to base the following night, both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion. The airplane crashed into the sea off Spurn Head. Two crew members were rescued and four others were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas George Cottier, pilot, †
P/O Clifford Herbert Lomas, †
F/Sgt Lloyd Charles Powell, pilot, †
Sgt Thomas Noel Pugh, †
Sgt A. E. Cox,
Sgt J. A. H. Lucas.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester I near Holmpton: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1942 at 2045 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 679 Manchester

Operator:

Registration:

L7523

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bottesford - Bottesford

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The airplane departed RAF Bottesford at 1735LT on an operation to Hamburg. While approaching the target area, it was hit by the German Flak. The crew decided to return to base but while approaching the coast of Yorkshire, the engine caught fire, probably due to bullets impact. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in Mill Hill, near Holmpton. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (207th Squadron):
F/Sgt Basil Courtney Wescombe, pilot,
F/Sgt Frederick Edward Thomas, pilot,
Sgt Eric Ronald Harper, observer,
F/Sgt Leonard Sieve, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Claude Raymond Westbury, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt John Thomas Howe, air gunner,
Sgt Maurice Robert Walker, air gunner.

Probable cause:

The engine caught fire in flight, probably due to enemy action.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II at RAF Driffield: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1942 at 1150 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

W5491

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Vickers 424 Wellington IV

Schedule:

Driffield - Driffield

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The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 1150LT on a training exercise. Almost immediately after takeoff, it stalled, impacted a hedge and crashed. Two crew members were killed and four others were injured. Two survivors died from injuries sustained on January 17 and 19.
Crew:
F/Sgt Sidney Reginald Bult, wireless operator, †
Sgt Alfred Charles Kingsley Parsons, †
Sgt Reginald Percy Payton, air gunner, †
Sgt William Rent Sloggatt, †
Sgt A. J. Brown,
Sgt W. J. Phillip,
F/O V. E. Tapp.

Probable cause:

The accident was the consequence of an incorrect flap setting on part of the crew.

Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV near Howden: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1942 at 0445 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Z1182

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: