North Yorkshire

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Church Fenton - Church Fenton

Location:

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Region:

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The pilot was completing a local solo training sortie at RAF Church Fenton. For unknown reason, the airplane crashed upon landing and collided with a parked Blenheim registered K7083. Both airplanes were destroyed by fire and the pilot was killed.
Crew:
P/O Alan S. Cameron, pilot.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I at RAF Church Fenton

Date & Time: Feb 1, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L6712

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I

Schedule:

Church Fenton - Church Fenton

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training sortie at RAF Church Fenton. Following an engine failure, the aircraft crash landed near the airfield and was damaged beyond repair. Both occupants were uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt Peter Saxton Newhouse, pilot +1.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I in Baldersby Saint James: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1941 at 1153 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

L9487

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse

Location:

Baldersby Saint James

North Yorkshire

Country:

United Kingdom

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 1120LT for a fuel consumption test and a measured climb to 12,000 feet. Shortly before noon, while cruising at an altitude of 8,000 feet with its undercarriage down, the bomber was seen with trailing smoke and flames. It entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field located in Howefield House, near Baldersby St James. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Michael Thomas Gibson Henry, pilot,
P/O Leslie Joseph McDonald, pilot,
Sgt John Naoier Hall, observer,
Sgt Francis Leslie Plowman, flight engineer,
Sgt Anthony Charles Henry Reid Russell, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt William Charles Browne Jesse, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

The cause of the fire was blamed on the failure of groundcrew at Linton on Ouse to put the fuel-filler cap back on one of the port fuel tanks after it had been refuelled. The vapour seen behind the port wing would also certainly have been fuel, which, by the time it ignited had soaked into the tail section of the aircraft. Also of note is that the port outer engine had been suffering trouble since its delivery. It suffered a coolant leak on 3 December 1940 which resulted in a new radiator being fitted and then the same engine showed low oil pressure, it was run-up on 24 December 1940 and a new oil relief valve had to be fitted. Following the crash all the engines were removed and taken away for inspection and this engine was found to have suffered an oil shortage in the air prior to the crash, part of the crankshaft had broken causing the failure of the engine. Further investigation of other early Halifaxes found that this was a design problem. When full of fuel and in a tail-down position the oil pumps on the outer engines were above the oil level. This oil system was later changed to stop the problem re-occuring. Why the undercarriage had droppped or been lowered is not known.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Dishforth: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1941 at 0043 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T4270

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Dishforth - Dishforth

MSN:

1923

YOM:

1940

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Dishforth at 1730LT on January 9 on an operation to Gelsenkirchen. While returning to base the following night, it crashed on approach for unknown reasons, bursting into flames. Two crew were seriously injured and three others were killed. One of the two survivors died two days later from injuries sustained.
Crew:
P/O Gerald Frederick Shaw, pilot, †
Sgt Harold George Soffe, pilot, †
Sgt William Morgan Hyslop, wireless operator, †
Sgt Ken Leon Minassian, wireless operator, †
Sgt B. A. Hart.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Topcliffe

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1940 at 0227 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T4293

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

1946

YOM:

1940

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1629LT on December 27 to bomb an aircraft factory based at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered technical difficulties upon landing when the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and collided with another Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley parked on the ramp. All five occupants were injured and both aircraft were destroyed.
Crew (77th Squadron):
Sgt Harold Joseph Dowling, pilot,
P/O Leonard Edward Pearson, pilot,
Sgt John Stafford Bools, observer,
Sgt Gill, wireless operator,
Sgt Alfred John Hurlston, air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Linton-on-Ouse: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 23, 1940 at 1930 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

P5098

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse

MSN:

1806

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 1725LT on an operation to Boulogne, France. One hour into the flight, the crew encountered technical problems with some instruments and decided to return to base. After touchdown, the aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and collided with a parked Westland Lysander. An explosion occurred and both aircraft were destroyed. A crew member was killed while all four others were injured.
Crew (58th Squadron):
F/O Cresswell Montagu Clementi, pilot,
Sgt Walter Thomas W. Large, pilot,
Sgt James Wilfred Henry Brown, observer,
Sgt Herbert Frederick Jennings, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Irwin Geoffrey Johnson, wireless operator and air gunner. †
Source and photo: http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york40/p5098.html

Probable cause:

Instruments failure.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V at RAF Leeming: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1940 at 1907 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

P4994

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

MSN:

1716

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from RAF Leeming, while in initial climb, the bomber stalled and crashed on a farm located near the airfield, bursting into flames. The captain was killed while all four other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew (10th Squadron):
P/O Peter Beckford Gough, pilot
P/O Ross Leslie Flewelling, pilot, †
Sgt John Thomas Evans, wireless operator,
Sgt Ronald Leslie Somerville, wireless operator,
Sgt Edward Peter Hogan, wireless operator.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Arden Great Moor: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1940 at 1835 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T4138

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

1831

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1641LT on an operation to Berlin. Few minutes after takeoff, one of the engine fired and the crew decided to return to base. While descending in poor weather conditions, the aircraft impacted the slope of a hill and was wrecked. One of the wireless operator was killed and four other occupants were injured.
Crew (77th Squadron):
P/O Hayden Hugh James Miller, pilot,
Sgt Douglas Henry Gilbert, copilot,
Sgt Gordon Thorpe, observer,
Sgt Cyril Williams, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Albert Edward Hammond, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

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

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1940 at 0350 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

T4226

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors: