Country
code

North Yorkshire

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A in Hunmanby: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
4D+?M
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane was shot down by a British fighter and crashed in Hunmanby, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
Fw Rudolf Bihr, pilot,
Fw Robert Pohl, observer,
Uffz Arnalf Neumeyer, air gunner,
Uffz Severin Kürsch, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I at RAF Thornaby: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N7316
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Thornaby - Thornaby
MSN:
414-1712
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
An engine failed shortly after take off from RAF Thornaby. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field past the runway end. A pilot was killed while the second occupant was seriously injured.
Crew (220th Squadron):
S/L D. W. Lydall, pilot,
P/O James Taylor Wardlaw, pilot. †
Probable cause:
Engine failure shortly after liftoff.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88A-1 in Newton Mulgrave Moor: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 11, 1940 at 1908 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
7A+KH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Stavanger - Stavanger
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Stavanger-Sola Airport on a photo reconnaissance mission over RAF Dishforth and Linton-on-Ouse. At an altitude of 18,000 feet over North Yorkshire, it was intercepted and attacked by a Spitfire and crash landed near the Scaling reservoir. A crew was killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Fw Otto Höfft, pilot,
Oblt Hans Marzusch, observer,
Lt Heinrich Meyer, mechanic, †
Fw Karl-Heinz Hacker, wireless operator.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-3 off Redcar

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1940 at 1245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1H+AC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Westerland - Westerland
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While approaching the British coast on a combat mission, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a British fighter. The captain attempted to ditch the aircraft some 15 miles off Redcar. All five crew members were rescued and the aircraft sank and was lost.
Crew (Stab Staffel II/KG 26):
Oberstlt Hans Hefele, pilot,
Lt Rudolf Behnisch, pilot,
Lt Georg Kempe, observer,
Uffz Albert Weber, wireless operator,
Uffz Alfred Bächle, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I at RAF Leeming

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1940 at 1515 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L8692
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Leeming - Leeming
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at RAF Leeming, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and collided with trees. Both crew members evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
The crew forgot to lower the flaps for landing.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IF at RAF Catterick

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1940 at 1320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L1109
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Catterick - Catterick
MSN:
8392
YOM:
1938
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The undercarriage was damaged upon takeoff from RAF Catterick. The crew elected to return when the airplane crashed upon landing. Both crew members were uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Sgt Thomas Birkett, pilot,
Sgt Edward Richard Lacey, wireless operator.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I at RAF Thornaby: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1940 at 0320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
P5127
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Thornaby - Thornaby
MSN:
414-1816
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from RAF Thornaby, while climbing to a height of 200 feet, the twin engine aircraft entered a right turn then descended to the ground and crashed in a huge ball of fire in a field located a mile from the airfield. All four crewmen were killed.
Crew (220th Squadron):
Sgt Eric Morgan, pilot,
Sgt Dennis Robert Holbeche, pilot,
AC1 William Charles Irvine, wireless operator,
Sgt James Richard Butterworth, air gunner.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Cherry Hill: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 1940 at 0505 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N1406
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Dishforth - Dishforth
MSN:
1560
YOM:
1939
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF Dishforth at 1835LT on May 2 to bomb Oslo-Fornebu Airport. On the return flight, while cruising at night and in poor weather conditions, the crew became lost and was unable to locate an alternate airfield so the captain ordered the crew to bail out. Without pilot, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a field. The bomber was destroyed while two crewmen were injured, three others unhurt. A day later, one of the survivor died from injuries sustained.
Crew (51st Squadron):
S/L Gerald Price Marvin, pilot,
P/O Albert John Oettle, pilot,
Sgt Guy Maxwell Brisbane, observer,
LAC Ernest Fisher, wireless operator and air gunner,
AC1 Angus Hepburn, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Thorgill: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1940 at 0315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R3154
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Marham - Marham
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
250
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed RAF Marham at 1825LT on a bombing mission to Stavanger. While returning to his base at night, the crew thought he was over the flat East Anglia. Flying at an insufficient height, the bomber impacted the slope of a small hill and crashed near Thorgill. Two crew members were killed and four others were injured.
Crew (115th Squadron):
F/O Augustus Rodney Gibbes, pilot,
F/O Edward Joseph Taylor Clarke, pilot, †
P/O John Marshman, air gunner, †
Sgt Lionel Miller Petersen, observer,
LAC Gerald Cecil William Stone, wireless operator,
AC1 Thomas Braidwood Moir, rear gunner.

Crash of a Vickers 290 Wellington I off Whitby: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 14, 1940 at 0004 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L4339
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Wick - Wick
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew departed Wick at the end of the afternoon on a reconnaissance mission of the Trondheim-Værnes Airport, Norway. While returning to its base at night and approaching the British coast, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the North Sea some 22 miles north of Whitby. All six occupants were killed.
Crew (38th Squadron):
P/O George Leslie Crosby, pilot,
P/O Arthur Guy Wyndham Merewether, pilot,
S/L Lionel C. Franklin,
Sgt Ronald Henry Willis,
AC2 Robert Michael Godfrey Clark,
P/O Charles Evelyn Walter Roy Edmunds.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the airplane crashed after being shot by enemy fire.