Country
France
code

Finistère

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-4 off Ushant: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Registration:
1T+FH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
6951
Location:
Ushant (Ouessant)
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances off Ushant. A crew was killed and three others were rescued.
Crew:
Fw Walther Von Livonius, pilot,
Oblt Helmut Lorenz, observer,
Fw Peter Hermsen, radio operator,
Uffz Otto Skusa, mechanic. †

Crash of a Bristol 152 Beaufort I off Pendruc: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1940 at 1940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Bristol 152 Beaufort
Operator:
Registration:
N1149
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Thorney Island - Thorney Island
MSN:
9184
YOM:
1940
Location:
Pendruc
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island on a mine laying operation of Brittany. Approaching the French coast, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed into the sea 2 km south of Pendruc. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt John Reginald Bendell, pilot,
Sgt Cyril Kenneth Woolnough, pilot,
Sgt Charles Frederick Masson, radio operator,
Sgt John Allan MacNaughton, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-3 off Brest: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Registration:
TG+KA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
5396
Location:
Brest
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Brest. A crew member was killed and three others were rescued.
Crew:
Lt Rudolf Prasse, pilot,
Uffz Max Mrochen, radio operator,
Uffz Franz Libel, air gunner, †
Hans Reinhardt, met.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 off Brest

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Registration:
RH+NT
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
5551
Location:
Brest
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Brest. All three crew members were rescued.
Crew:
Lt Horst-Max Dümcke, pilot,
Lt Friedrich-Karl Deicke, radio operator,
Hans Sigmund, met.

Crash of a Dornier DO.17Z near Landerneau: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Dornier DO.17
Operator:
Registration:
7T+CL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
3471
Location:
Landerneau
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Crashed and burnt 4 km south of Landerneau. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Otto von Bock, pilot,
Oblt Eberhard von Krosigk, observer,
Uffz Bruno Simon, radio operator.

Crash of a Dornier DO.17Z in Sizun

Date & Time: Sep 21, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Dornier DO.17
Operator:
Registration:
7T+LH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
3497
Location:
Sizun
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in Sizun after the aircraft has been shot down by the pilot of a British fighter. All four crew members were rescued.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P-2 in Kerlaz: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Registration:
HG+NN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
2839
Location:
Kerlaz
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Kerlaz. Two crew members were killed and a third was injured.
Crew:
Fw Heinz Klempien, pilot, †
Gefr Kurt Bengeser, observer, †
Gefr Willin Hey, air gunner.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-3 at Lanvéoc NAS: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Lanvéoc-Poulmic NAS
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances at Lanvéoc-Poulmic NAS. Three crew members were killed and a fourth was injured.
Crew.
Lt Otto Heinrich Schmidt, pilot, †
Dr. Gustav Adolf Suckstorff, †
Fw Bernhard Wilde, radio operator,
Ogfr Alfred Neubold, air gunner. †

Crash of a Heinkel He.111D off Saint-Samson: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Heinkel He.111
Operator:
Registration:
1G+??
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Saint-Samson
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Saint-Samson. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw Hermann Schulze, pilot,
Oblt Walter Buss, observer,
Obrst Bernhard Georgi,
Ofw Ernst Möller, radio operator,
Uffz Hans Goltz, mechanic,
Gefr Kurt Frinzel, air gunner.

Crash of a Supermarine Walrus I in Ploudaniel: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 18, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Supermarine Walrus
Operator:
Registration:
L2312
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Mount Batten - Carantec - Mount Batten
Location:
Ploudaniel
Finistère
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
On 17 June 1940, General De Gaulle left France for England but his wife and children were still in Carantec, Brittany. Due to German troops moving through Brittany, De Gaulle obtained help from Winston Churchill who sent a special aircraft to Carantec to pick up De Gaulle's family. After receiving orders from the Government, Captain Norman Hope joined RAF Mount Batten and transmitted to his crew the goal of this high secret mission. On 18 June 1940, the float plane departed RAF Mount Batten, near Portsmouth, at 0300LT. It arrived over Brittany few hours later and while flying 20 km west from Carantec, it was hit by ground fire, either French or German (undetermined). The captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in a field when the aircraft impacted a rocky wall and crashed, bursting into flames. All four crew were killed. Nobody was aware of this mission and De Gaulle's family embarked on a ship few hours later to join England.
Crew (15th GC):
Cpt Norman Hope,
Lt John Bell,
Sgt Charles Harris,
Cpl Bernard Nowell.
Probable cause:
Shot down unknown ground fire, French or German.
Subscribe to Finistère