West Flanders | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 1712LT on an operation to Cologne. Believed to have crashed into the sea off Ostend, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
F/Sgt Ian Redmayne Bell,
P/O Hubert Donald Buckley,
Sgt Frank Wilson Crocker,
Sgt Gerald Leonard Grigg,
Sgt Robert William George Kent,
Sgt Laurence William Ketteringham,
Sgt Maurice Victor Wakeling.

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

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1941 at 0139 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

V5876

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Bodney - Bodney

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The airplane departed RAF Bodney on an operation to Ostend. While approaching the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Thomas McSkimming Wilson, pilot,
Sgt Robert Johnston, observer,
Sgt Frederick Charles Hubbard, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden I in Roksem: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1941 at 2052 LT

Type of aircraft:

Handley Page H.P.52 Hampden

Operator:

Registration:

AE438

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Syerston - Syerston

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The airplane departed RAF Syerston at 1755LT on an operation to Ostend. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Roksem. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O John Cayley Wilson, pilot,
Sgt Evan Bertram Te Makahi Robertson, observer,
Sgt Douglas Victor Markall, wireless operator,
Sgt Douglas Frederick William Norton, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Werken: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

X9914

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Feltwell - Feltwell

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The airplane departed RAF Feltwell on an operation to Mannheim. Passing over Belgium, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Werken. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Cyril Taylor, pilot,
Sgt Frederick Alexander Spark, pilot,
Sgt Sidney Joseph Lawrence Levack, observer,
Sgt James Roberts, wireless operator,
Sgt William Reid Steele, wireless operator,
Sgt Robert Holtby Tasker, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1941 at 1115 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

V6380

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Attlebridge - Attlebridge

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The airplane departed RAF Attlebridge at 0940LT on an anti-shipping operation. Approaching the Belgian coast, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Blankenberge. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Robert Melville Burlinson, pilot,
P/O Bruce Elwell Hislop, observer,
Sgt Maurice Albert Stratton, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC off Ostend

Date & Time: Sep 3, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

X9810

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Marham - Marham

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The airplane departed RAF Marham at 2022LT on September 2 on an operation to Ostend. While approaching the target area, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea. All six crew members came ashore three days later at Westgate, Kent.
Crew:
S/L A. R. Gibbs,
Sgt T. Helfer,
Sgt R. L. Ross,
Sgt J. Purcell,
Sgt J. Adamson,
Sgt W. J. England.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1941 at 0045 LT

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6872

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Middleton St George - Middleton St George

MSN:

2213

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Middleton St George at 2002LT on an operation to Mannheim. After bombing Bruges as an alternative, the airplane was shot down by the German Flak and crashed. All four crew members became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt H. A. Woodhatch,
Sgt A. J. Child,
Sgt W. H. Olley,
Sgt J. Davidson.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Vickers 416 Wellington IC in Handzame: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 416 Wellington IC

Operator:

Registration:

X9749

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Alconbury - Alconbury

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The airplane departed RAF Alconbury at 2045LT on August 25 on an operation to Karlsruhe. The following night, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in Handzame. All six crew members were killed.
crew:
S/L Alan Cresswell Martin, pilot,
P/O Thomas Raymond Fyles, pilot,
P/O Reginald Robert Reynolds, observer,
Sgt Gordon Knight, wireless operator,
Sgt Roland Joseph Fidele Perras, wireless operator,
F/O William Wright, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

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

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Armstrong Whitworth AW.38 Whitley

Operator:

Registration:

Z6826

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Topcliffe - Topcliffe

MSN:

2186

YOM:

1941

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The airplane departed RAF Topcliffe at 2207LT on August 5 on an operation to Frankfurt. After bombing Koblenz as an alternative target, the airplane was returning to base when it was shot down by the German Flak. All five crew members bailed out and became PoW. One of them evaded.
Crew:
P/O Douglas Gordon Baser,
Sgt Michael Bonaventure Cyrille Delaney,
P/O Ivan Arnold Kayes,
Sgt William Frederick Thuell,
Sgt Albert David Day.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV off Ostend: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

Z7498

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Manston - Great Massingham

Location:

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The airplane departed Manston at 1119LT on an anti-shipping operation. While approaching the Belgian coast, it was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea off Ostend. The pilot was killed and two other crew members were rescued and became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Cullen Eric Powell, pilot, †
Sgt Henry Emmanuel Hunt,
Sgt Michael Roberts.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

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