North Yorkshire | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane was engaged in a local training flight at RAF Thornaby. For unknown reasons, it overshot, lost its undercarriage and came to rest in a ditch. There were no injuries among the crew.
Crew.
P/O Grimshaw.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Filey: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 21, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7453

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Upwood - Upwood

Location:

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The crew departed RAF Upwood on a cross-country exercise. It failed to return to base and is believed to have crashed into the sea off Filey. Lost without trace.
Crew:
F/O Edwin Roy Parke, pilot,
Sgt Maurice York, observer,
Sgt Francis Coakley, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I near West Burton: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 0300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE393

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Balderton - Balderton

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Balderton at 1715LT on January 15 on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. At night and in low visibility due to clouds, the airplane impacted the slope of a hilly terrain in Dalefoot, near West Burton. Three crew members were killed and the pilot was injured.
Crew:
S/L W. J. Burnett, pilot,
F/Sgt James Arthur Bunting, observer, †
Sgt John Robinson Appleby, wireless operator, †
Sgt Maurice Jones, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Arden Great Moor: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 0005 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5493

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Driffield - Driffield

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The airplane departed RAF Driffield at 1835LT on January 15 on an operation to Emden. While returning to base the following night, it crashed in unknown circumstances just past midnight at Arden Great Moor. Four crew members were killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
Sgt John Wilmot, pilot, †
Sgt John Blackwell Turner, pilot, †
Sgt Douglas Reginald Bradley, observer, †
Sgt George White, wireless operator, †
Sgt Regan,
Sgt Upham.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Whitby: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

R1759

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Stradishall - Stradishall

Location:

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The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 1740LT on January 15 an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base the following night, it is presumed that it crashed into the sea off Whitby. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Edward Everett Hale, pilot,
Sgt George James Peck, pilot,
F/Sgt William John Elder,
Sgt Arthur Lionel Lax,
Sgt Joseph Barnby Myers,
P/O Henry Joseph Woodrow.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in Northallerton: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1942 at 2230 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II

Operator:

Registration:

L9622

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Leeming - Leeming

Location:

Country:

Region:

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The airplane departed RAF Leeming at 1812LT on an operation to Hamburg. While returning to base in the late evening, it crashed in unknown circumstances in Northallerton. Six crew members were killed and a seventh was seriously injured.
Crew:
Sgt M. S. Schneider, pilot,
Sgt Thomas Cowan, pilot, †
Sgt Herbert Kenneth Taylor, flight engineer, †
P/O Michael Von Dadelszen, observer, †
Sgt James Calvert Bradley, wireless operator, †
P/O Vincent Leslie Brice, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Donald Savage, air gunner. †

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim I off Scarborough: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1942 at 1100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L8677

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Church Fenton - Church Fenton

Location:

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The crew departed RAF Church Fenton on a training exercise. While practicing off Scarborough, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea, about 2,5 miles offshore. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Bernard Jepson, pilot,
Sgt William Thomas Higgs, wireless operator.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IVF at RAF Church Fenton

Date & Time: Jan 8, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

R3752

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Church Fenton - Church Fenton

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The pilot departed RAF Church Fenton on a local training exercise. While circling in the vicinity of the airfield, the airplane suffered icing conditions and crashed in a field located three miles east of the airbase. The pilot escaped uninjured.
Crew:
P/O Josef Vopálecký, pilot.

Probable cause:

Icing.

Crash of a Vickers 406 Wellington II in Strensall: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1942 at 1015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 406 Wellington II

Operator:

Registration:

W5589

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Pocklington - Pocklington

Location:

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The crew departed RAF Pocklington on a test flight. One of the engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in a pasture in Strensall. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Osborne Bayfield Le Furgey, pilot,
F/Sgt Peter Wityck, pilot,
Sgt James David Garrow,
Sgt William Alan Robertson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt John Burton Gayfer, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V near Nidderdale

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1942 at 0250 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6656

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Croft - Croft

MSN:

2090

YOM:

1941

Location:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Croft at 1622LT on January 2 on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. While returning to base the following night, it crashed into high ground while descending through cloud. All five crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt A. Attwell, pilot,
Sgt D. Johnston,
Sgt V. E. Shirley,
Sgt E. C. Smith,
P/O K. Blyth.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

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