Country
code
Vendée
Crash of a Boeing B-17F-35-BO Flying Fortress off Noirmoutier Island: 9 killed
Date & Time:
Jan 3, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-5084
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bassingbourn - Bassingbourn
MSN:
3623
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn at 0900LT on an operation to Saint-Nazaire. Over the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea 12 km off Noirmoutier Island. Nine crew members were killed and one was rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt William M. Anderson, pilot, †
1st Lt James L. Lee, copilot, †
T/Sgt Rex O. Barker, mechanic, †
1st Lt John Henry Roten, navigator,
S/Sgt Anthony C. McCauley, radio operator, †
1st Lt Lyle G. Karnath, bomb aimer, †
T/Sgt Robert E. Marrer, air gunner, †
S/Sgt La Vern A. Senn, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Herman Odegard, air gunner, †
Sgt Richard Q. Flint, air gunner. †
Crew:
1st Lt William M. Anderson, pilot, †
1st Lt James L. Lee, copilot, †
T/Sgt Rex O. Barker, mechanic, †
1st Lt John Henry Roten, navigator,
S/Sgt Anthony C. McCauley, radio operator, †
1st Lt Lyle G. Karnath, bomb aimer, †
T/Sgt Robert E. Marrer, air gunner, †
S/Sgt La Vern A. Senn, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Herman Odegard, air gunner, †
Sgt Richard Q. Flint, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
Crash of a Short S.29 Stirling I off Ile d'Yeu: 7 killed
Date & Time:
Oct 17, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
BF392
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lakenheath - Lakenheath
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lakenheath at 1830LT to lay mines in the Gironde estuary. While returning to base, it crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Ile d'Yeu. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Herbert Eklund, pilot,
Sgt Edward Hhoward Uzzell, mechanic,
F/O Morris Searle Gilberd, observer,
F/Sgt Ernest Hallright Howell, radio operator,
Sgt John Clifford Leach, radio operator,
Sgt Angus Martin, radio operator,
Sgt Maurice Allan Torrance, air gunner.
Crew:
F/Sgt John Herbert Eklund, pilot,
Sgt Edward Hhoward Uzzell, mechanic,
F/O Morris Searle Gilberd, observer,
F/Sgt Ernest Hallright Howell, radio operator,
Sgt John Clifford Leach, radio operator,
Sgt Angus Martin, radio operator,
Sgt Maurice Allan Torrance, air gunner.
Crash of a Vickers 424 Wellington IV off Noirmoutier Island: 5 killed
Date & Time:
Aug 4, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
Z1487
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Grimsby - Grimsby
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Grimsby at 23309LT to lay mines off the French coast. It crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Noirmoutier Island. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/Sgt Claude Lorraine Love, pilot,
F/Sgt Robert Charles Pearce, observer,
F/Sgt James Anderson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt George Hall, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Earl Edwin Hopper, air gunner.
Crew:
F/Sgt Claude Lorraine Love, pilot,
F/Sgt Robert Charles Pearce, observer,
F/Sgt James Anderson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt George Hall, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Earl Edwin Hopper, air gunner.
Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I in L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer: 4 killed
Date & Time:
Jul 24, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
L9529
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Stanton Harcourt - Stanton Harcourt
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stanton Harcourt at 1034LT on an operation to La Rochelle. Approaching the target area from the north, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in L'Aiguillon-sur-Mer, some 20 km northwest from La Rochelle. Four crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
F/Lt Austin Ellerker Lewin, pilot, †
Sgt William Henry James Gourley, †
F/Sgt Charles Henry Horner, observer, †
Sgt Percy James Vickery, wireless operator, †
Sgt William Allan Finlayson,
F/Lt Norman White McLeod,
Sgt Benjamin Phillips.
Crew:
F/Lt Austin Ellerker Lewin, pilot, †
Sgt William Henry James Gourley, †
F/Sgt Charles Henry Horner, observer, †
Sgt Percy James Vickery, wireless operator, †
Sgt William Allan Finlayson,
F/Lt Norman White McLeod,
Sgt Benjamin Phillips.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I near Angles: 5 killed
Date & Time:
Jul 24, 1941
Operator:
Registration:
L9527
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Stanton Harcourt - Stanton Harcourt
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Stanton Harcourt at 1040LT to attack the Scharnhorst anchored at La Pallice. It was shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Angles. Five crew members were killed and two others were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Greville Gascoyne Esnouf, pilot, †
F/Sgt Clarence Arthur Godwin, pilot, †
Sgt Conrad Howard Newstead, flight engineer, †
Sgt Reginald Thomas Rudlin, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Sidney Harry James Shirley, air gunner, †
Sgt Eric Oswald Thomas Balcomb,
F/Lt Arthur George Eperon.
Crew:
Sgt Greville Gascoyne Esnouf, pilot, †
F/Sgt Clarence Arthur Godwin, pilot, †
Sgt Conrad Howard Newstead, flight engineer, †
Sgt Reginald Thomas Rudlin, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Sidney Harry James Shirley, air gunner, †
Sgt Eric Oswald Thomas Balcomb,
F/Lt Arthur George Eperon.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.
Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 45 off Les Sables-d'Olonne: 3 killed
Date & Time:
Jun 8, 1940
Operator:
Registration:
3006
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Chalon - Chalon
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Chalon-Champforgeuil Airport at 2003LT on a bombing mission over enemy barracks in the area of Compiègne. While cruising at night, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and several instruments became out of order. The crew got lost and continued to the west until he decided to bail out. One crew member survived, two other drowned and the pilot was killed when the airplane crashed into the sea off Les Sables-d’Olonne.
Crew:
Lt Jacques Jean Marie Colleter, chief, †
Sgt/C Raymond Louis Ajam, pilot, †
Adj Marcel Joseph Paul Olivères, radio operator, †
Sgt/C Auguste Adrien Renard, air gunner.
Crew:
Lt Jacques Jean Marie Colleter, chief, †
Sgt/C Raymond Louis Ajam, pilot, †
Adj Marcel Joseph Paul Olivères, radio operator, †
Sgt/C Auguste Adrien Renard, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.
