Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Mildenhall: 7 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1940 at 1515 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R1294
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mildenhall - Mildenhall
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in a local test flight at RAF Mildenhall, carrying seven crew members, among them a number of potential trainee pilots. While completing a turn at low altitude, the airplane lost speed, stalled and crashed. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Rrichard Seaton Whittington Lloyd, pilot,
AC1 Norman James Cross,
AC2 Neil Morton, pilot,
AC2 James Ian Henderson, pilot,
AC1 Herbert William Little,
Sgt Denziel Sydney Roberts, wireless operator,
Sgt Christopher George Matthews, air gunner.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the fabric stripped from the top of the starboard wing shortly before the accident.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Occold

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1940 at 2115 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2218
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Thorney Island - Thorney Island
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Thorney Island at 1900LT on an operation in the vicinity of Cape Gris-Nez, France. While returning to base in the evening, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the wireless became unserviceable and no D/F bearing could be obtained. The crew got lot but finally found an airfield and attempted landing on it, but on going round, the flarepath was extinguished and the pilot got no reply to his signals. The crew finally bailed out. Pilot said he had difficulty in reaching ripcord. All three crew survived but two were injured. The Blenheim crashed at 2115LT at Hall Farm, near Occold, bursting into flames.
Crew:
P/O P. E. Gibbs,
Sgt C. A. Oram,
Sgt Wood.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Wattisham

Date & Time: Nov 28, 1940 at 0830 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2253
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The bomber departed RAF Wattisham at 0400LT on an operation to Cologne. While returning to base in the morning, the airplane was approaching the airbase when it collided with trees and crashed. All three crew members were injured.
Crew:
P/O Dickinson,
Sgt Muirhead,
Sgt Thompson.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV in Eriswell: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1940 at 1855 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R2792
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Upwood - Upwood
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Upwood on a training exercise. While cruising at night in bad weather conditions, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a wooded area located near Eriswell. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Edward Barham Morse, pilot,
Sgt Robert Leonard Thorn, observer,
Sgt Bruce Wilson-North, wireless operator and air gunner.

Crash of an Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley V in Laxfield

Date & Time: Nov 24, 1940 at 0500 LT
Operator:
Registration:
T4169
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Topcliffe - Topcliffe
MSN:
1862
YOM:
1940
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 1743LT on November 23 on an operation to Torino. While returning to base the following morning, it crashed in a field near Laxfield. All five crew members were injured.
Crew:
F/O P. E. Rees,
Sgt H. J. Dowling,
Sgt Alderton,
Sgt Haynes,
Sgt Davis.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV near Stowmarket

Date & Time: Nov 16, 1940 at 2215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R3737
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wattisham - Wattisham
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Wattisham to attack aerodromes. While returning to base in the evening, the captain made a forced landing in a field located five miles west of Stowmarket. All three crew members evacuated safely.
Crew:
P/O E. S. Humphreys +2.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Honington

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2462
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Honington - Honington
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Honington at 1931LT on November 7 on an operation to Essen. While returning to base the following night, it clipped a line of trees and crashed. The pilot initiated a go around procedure when the airplane slid through a hedge and came to rest, bursting into flames. All six crew members were slightly injured.
Crew:
P/O P. E. Berry +5.

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

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1940 at 0130 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
R3289
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Newmarket - Newmarket
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Newmarket in the evening of November 6 on an operation to The Ruhr. While returning to its base at night, the airplane was shot down and crashed into the sea some 150 yards off Felixstowe. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/L Ronald Watcyn Jones, pilot,
F/O Alwyn Oswald Laurence Stevens, pilot,
Sgt Cornelius Daniel McColgan Canning, observer,
Sgt Herbert Charles Westley, wireless operator,
P/O Maurice Lowden Gauntlett, air gunner,
Sgt James Fraser.
Probable cause:
Shot down.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC at RAF Stradishall: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 5, 1940 at 2215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T2470
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stradishall - Stradishall
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stradishall at 1750LT on an operation to Hamburg. While approaching the base in the evening, another Wellington cut across the flight-path of T2470, causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft that entered a dive and crashed one mile east of the airbase. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Gilbert Ernest Turner, pilot,
Sgt Stanley Allan Wormald, pilot,
Sgt Charles McCulloch, observer,
Sgt Andrew William Hay, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Henry Sansum, wireless operator,
Sgt Edward Kenny.

Crash of a Vickers 408 Wellington IA in Needham Market: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1940 at 1120 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7786
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Wretham - East Wretham
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed RAF East Wretham on a routine training exercice. While cruising at a too low altitude, the aircraft hit power cables and crashed in a farmland located in Needham Market. Both pilots were killed.
Crew (311th Squadron):
Sgt Karel Lang, pilot,
Sgt Oldrich Tosovsky, pilot.